Light in the Midst of Darkness
by Kira Vulpes
Summary: Murtagh's in for the darkest days of his life once he's captured by Galbatorix in the Urgal ambush. But can the female Tivittica show him that there's more to life than darkness and evil, even when he's surrounded on all sides by it?
1. Living Nightmare

**Light in the Midst of Darkness**

Author's note: This is my very first Eragon Fanfiction! Please enjoy!

This story is set during Eldest. Major revisions are planned...eventually.

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own any of the characters/places in Eragon. Anything else, however, is mine.

* * *

**Chapter 1:** _A Living Nightmare_

It was dark when Murtagh woke up. His body ached all over, and he felt exhausted. The memories of his recent capture still burned in his mind, and he grimly recalled the Urgal ambush. With the help of the Twins, whom he'd never trusted from the beginning, the Urgals had dealt Ajihad and several others their death blow and then taken the Twins and himself into the dark tunnels from whence they had come. _Ajihad didn't deserve to die,_ Murtagh thought bitterly, and sat up with a groan.

Murtagh noticed the bars of his prison first, and a cold sweat broke across his face. He'd been here before, when he was younger and explored Galbatorix's palace. Except last time, he'd been on the outside…

There were footsteps in the hall, and a figure stopped in front of his cell. The flickering torch in the wall cast the stranger's face in shadow, but Murtagh could still make out the cold expression, piercing eyes, and bald head of one of the Twins.

"You're awake," the man stated, then smiled in an unsettling way. "I'll have to inform _him_ immediately."

Murtagh felt a cold, sinking sensation creeping across him, but managed to keep his face emotionless. He had a good idea of who "him" was…

The man watched Murtagh intently. "You're a bit too quiet for my liking. But no matter; we'll fix that soon." He chuckled darkly and walked off.

Murtagh watched the man's retreating form, slowly filling with despair. He could see no way to escape from this. No one knew where he was or what exactly had happened. He was truly alone… and surrounded on all sides by enemies.

A little while later, both of the Twins returned. They unlocked Murtagh's cell in silence, and roughly pulled him to his feet. Murtagh glared at his escorts, and one grinned evilly at him in reply.

"You're to come with us," the first man said.

"I gathered as much," Murtagh muttered. He earned a shove foreword for his trouble and nearly crashed into the bars at the front of his cell.

"Watch where you're going!" the other Twin snapped.

Murtagh could barely refrain from rolling his eyes. He had never liked the Twins, and the less time he spent in their presence, the better.

Sensing that their prisoner was not one for providing entertainment, the Twins escorted Murtagh down the hall. To Murtagh's annoyance, his legs were still weak from the multiple bruises he'd sustained from his capture, and he faltered a few times in his step. But the glint of steel in eyes miraculously forestalled any comments from the Twins.

As Murtagh and the others negotiated the halls and stairs, Murtagh's sense of unease grew. How would Galbatorix react to his reappearance? For Murtagh was certain that was who he was being taken to, even though he had no wish to lay eyes on that man ever again. His fears were confirmed as the Twins led him to the doors of the throne room, nodding at the stone faced guards as they approached. One Twin stepped foreword and held a whispered conversation with the guard, who nodded rapped sharply on the door.

"Who's there?" came a cold, sharp voice. Murtagh stiffened at the sound, recognizing it instantly. It was indeed Galbatorix, whose voice could easily entrance one or lash out with frightening intensity.

The guard opened the door partially and announced, "It's the Twins and your latest prisoner, Murtagh, son of Morzan." Murtagh grimaced. As if anyone present needed reminder of his heritage.

"Enter, then," the voice said. The Twins shoved Murtagh foreword as the guard opened the door.

The room was large, with a high roof. Far from making it seem spacious and open, however, the chamber felt oppressive and dark. Perhaps it was the imposing figure on the throne raised upon the dais that was responsible for the grim change in atmosphere. Intelligent, cold gray eyes stared out at the newcomers, and seemed to look straight through Murtagh, who found the effect disconcerting. Galbatorix had dark, graying hair, and an impassive expression on his face. He wore all black, with a blood red gem serving as the clasp of his ebony cape. As the Twins brought Murtagh foreword, Galbatorix rose, his cape falling into place.

"It's good to see you again, Murtagh. I wasn't sure if I would after you… left." Though his tone was pleasant and even conversational, Murtagh could sense the undercurrent of rage imbedded in his words. "Anyway, I didn't want you to think I had forgotten about you. And while I'm rather busy at the moment, I think tomorrow morning would be as good of a time as any to discuss your recent departure and the consequences that will ensure."

_So basically, Galbatorix is going to severely punish me for my actions,_ Murtagh thought bitterly.

"That being said, I'll see you on the morrow. You're dismissed!" Galbatorix sat back down imperiously, his face still devoid of any emotion. The Twins turned, roughly shoved Murtagh back into position, and exited the large chamber. They escorted him in silence to his cell and made sure that the door was securely locked.

"We'll come for you in the morning," one of the Twins said.

"Can't say I'm not looking foreword to it," the other added, a malicious expression in his eyes.

Murtagh turned his back on the pair and stared at the wall. This was going to be a long day, and an even longer night…


	2. Laying the Foundation

**Chapter 2:** _Laying the Foundation_

A/N: If you read my Lego Knights story, _Cast in Shadow, _Tivittica is not the same character.

* * *

It was late at night when Murtagh awoke. At least, he thought it was night, but it was hard to tell. A solitary figure stood outside his cell, silhouetted by the flame from the torches. Murtagh sat up slightly, trying to get a better look at the person. As if sensing his intentions, the figure stepped into the light.

It was a female. She had waist-length dark reddish brown hair and violet eyes. She wore light yet sturdy looking armor that was mostly black with hints of a shimmery aquamarine and plum. A necklace with a dragon charm was around her neck, along with a small choker that had a raven in the center.

Suddenly, Murtagh felt a mental probe trying to enter his mind. His defenses were already there and immediately activated, barring the unwanted intrusion. To Murtagh's total astonishment, the intruder—presumably the girl—gently brushed his defenses aside. _What the—?!!_

_Sorry, _the voice in his mind said, _but others might be watching us, and I'm certainly not a friend of Galbatorix._

_Who are you?_ Murtagh replied over the mental link. He felt extremely confused and wary.

_Tivittica. And you're Murtagh._

_Yes… If you're really no friend of Galbatorix, what are you doing here?_

_I wanted to talk to you. It's not that hard to evade others, especially since I work here and those who know of my… abilities tend to keep their distance. _

_Abilities? You're referring to your skills at entering others minds, right? Like the Twins…_

_No, not like the Twins,_ Tivittica replied. _I don't like hurting others for entertainment. _

Murtagh sighed. _So what do you want?_

_I'd heard that you'd been captured, and I'd wanted to meet you. _She paused._ You know, we're very similar in the sense that we both have painful memories of our past, and we've both led hard lives._

_Surely you've heard the saying "curiosity killed the cat"?_

Tivittica smiled. _What I'm trying to say is that I want to help you. I know what it's like to feel oppression everywhere I turn. And I also know that you need someone you can trust in order to make it through this period of troubled times. So here's my offer to you, Murtagh: let me help you. _

_You have to understand, though, that I'm naturally wary of everyone, especially those who try to force their way into my mind._

_But I didn't _try._ I _did. Tivittica smiled, and Murtagh rolled his eyes.

_You know what I meant. _

_Yes, I completely understand where you were going. But these days ahead of you are dark… _Her face clouded. _Incredibly dark…_

_And what exactly do you mean by that? Did Galbatorix tell you what he has in mind for me? _

_Murtagh, I need to go before my presence is missed. I'm not really supposed to be here. But before I leave, I'm going to put a shield around your memory of our conversation. It means that no one except you will have access to those memories… and Galbatorix will never be able to discover them, no matter what he does._

_Are you implying that Galbatorix would torture me in an attempt to find these memories?_

Tivittica didn't reply. There was a look of intense concentration on her face, and Murtagh suddenly felt the memories of their recent conversation being drawn towards a central point. A shimmery blanket seemed to envelop the recollections, and then they drifted back to their original locations. Murtagh felt Tivittica begin to withdraw from his mind.

_Until next time,_ she thought to him, and then her presence was gone. As Murtagh watched, Tivittica smiled at him and walked quickly down the passage.

Murtagh sat back against the wall, replaying what had just happened. Who exactly was Tivittica, and why was she working here, at Galbatorix's palace? He'd never met her before, but obviously, she'd heard of him. He felt confused and finally fell asleep, wondering what Galbatorix had in store for him.

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I'm working on Tivittica's past, so stay tuned… I write faster than I type. Chapter three will be up soon! 


	3. A painful discussion

**Chapter Three:** _A Painful Discussion_

Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

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True to their word, the Twins came for Murtagh in the morning. They seemed a bit less aloof, but Murtagh knew that they were looking foreword to his "discussion" with the king. This did nothing to improve his mood as the Twins escorted him to… his heart skipped a beat when he realized where the Twins had brought him: Galbatorix's special chamber for "uncooperative" prisoners. And suddenly, Murtagh realized what Tivittica had meant by "incredibly dark" times…

* * *

Tivittica was engrossed in a book when a scream rent the air. She looked up, startled, and realized at once who it was. _I didn't think they were going to punish him so soon, _she thought worriedly. Putting her book aside, she began pacing her private quarters. The whole point of offering Murtagh help was so that she could _help_ him.

A sudden thought struck her mind and she hesitated. Perhaps she _could_ help protect Murtagh, but was she too far to be of any assistance? She sought out the traces of her shield from yesterday and found a faint trace that led her directly to Murtagh. Though she wasn't in his mind, she could sense his pain, and without thinking, she muttered "skölir" (shield).

Immediately, she felt part of herself rising and following the trail of magic to Murtagh. Her physical self was still in her room, so she was safe from discovery. Tivittica suddenly found herself hovering over Murtagh's form. He was chained to a metal table and—Tivittica adverted her eyes, for she had no interest in what Galbatorix was doing.

Suddenly, pain erupted across her body, and she gasped in spite of herself. To her immense relief, no one seemed to have heard her. But she knew she wouldn't be able to protect Murtagh indefinitely. Galbatorix paused and said something to Murtagh, and Tivittica took advantage of the moment to slip into Murtagh's mind. She felt him stare in shock at Galbatorix and then he thought, _Eragon is my brother?!! _

_Apparently so, _Tivittica thought to him. She quickly forced Murtagh not to show any more surprise than he had before. _Don't give me away!_

_Tivittica!_

_Yes,_ she replied tersely. _I'll help you and lend you my strength, but don't let them know that I'm—_she felt Murtagh's body shudder as another blow struck him.

_You—unh—don't have to—aah—do this._

_Just worry about yourself, _Tivittica replied. She winced as Galbatorix struck Murtagh again, but Murtagh managed not to cry out.

"Would you like us to further assist you in breaking his spirit?" one of the Twins asked. Both Tivittica and Murtagh glared at him angrily.

Galbatorix smiled, but the action did nothing to dispel Murtagh's unease. "You do understand that I want him alive and well enough to be of further use to me?"

"Yes, master," the Twin replied.

"Well…" Galbatorix paused. "I believe we've come to an understanding. I'll tell you when you're finished."

"But sir," the other Twin interrupted.

Galbatorix turned, his eyes flashing dangerously. "What?"

"I thought… that perhaps we could return him to his cell when we've decided he's had enough."

Galbatorix sighed. "Very well. But if he's too unfit for my liking, it'll be on both of your heads." He stepped towards the door, then paused to address Murtagh. "And don't think I'm finished with you either, Murtagh. We have much more to discuss." Seeing the cold, hardened expression on his captive's face, he laughed cruelly and then left the room.

There was complete silence for a moment, and Tivittica could sense the apprehension growing in Murtagh. _I'll try my best to reduce whatever pain they inflict upon you,_ she told him.

_Alright. Just don't give me any advice like, _the sun will always shine, _ok?_

Tivittica managed to send him an exasperated look, even though she was inside of his mind. _Do you really think I'd do that?_

Before Murtagh could offer a sarcastic reply, one of the Twins spoke. "Galbatorix was a bit too easy on you. We both feel you deserve _proper_ punishment for your actions." He nodded to the other, who raised his hand. Immediately, Murtagh found himself released from his bonds. Before he could do anything, he was lifted up and slammed into the wall, then lifted back into the air and chained face down to the table before he'd had a chance to recover.

"Let's see," the other Twin spoke. "For our purposes, I think it's best if we see what we're doing." He ran his finger along Murtagh's back, and the fabric split at his touch. He turned to the other. "Ready? The let's begin." He pulled out a knife, and suddenly, images started flashing in Murtagh's mind: his father, Morzan, intoxicated and infuriated; the sword Zar'roc in his father's hand, and then, Zar'roc flashing through the air and—pain. Nothing but seemingly unending agony—

_Murtagh, I'm sorry, _Tivittica said softly.

_Don't be._ His tone was much colder and sharp. All of a sudden, the Twin with the knife plunged the blade downward. Murtagh let out a terrible scream and Tivittica suddenly realized that the Twins were planning on reopening his old injury. _Of all the sick things to do,_ she thought, but Murtagh's agony cut her off. Tivittica tried her best to reduce his pain, but it was threatening to overwhelm her.

The Twin began following the path of Murtagh's scar with his blade, beginning at Murtagh's right shoulder and drifting diagonally to his left hip. Tivittica was having trouble concentrating, for not all of Murtagh's pain was physical. The memories of his original wound kept replaying in his head and making Tivittica feel disoriented. She tried to dull the Twin's blade, but the pain was too great for her to make any headway. She couldn't heal the damage already done, or even protect the portion of his back that hadn't been re-injured. As the dagger moved to the center of Murtagh's back, Tivittica gasped and began to lose her hold on Murtagh's conscience. Quickly, she focused on the Twins. Galbatorix had entered her mind before, but this would be a fairly complicated ruse, even if it worked according to plan…

Tivittica detached herself from Murtagh's mind and forced herself into the mind of the Twin with the knife. She summoned her memory of Galbatorix's voice and mental presences, and cloaked herself in it. _You've done enough._ Her tone was cold, sharp, and menacing, and for a second, she had even fooled herself.

The Twin hesitated, the knife still protruding from Murtagh's back. _Master, I was busy…_

Tivittica felt his joy and entertainment from the exercise and tried to suppress her feelings of revulsion. _Fool, you're going too far. Can't you see that if you continue in this manner, he may not properly recover? I told you I need him. Can't you listen?_

_But Master, _the Twin whined.

_No objections! You will cease your punishment… though it is very admirable. _Tivittica hated herself for praising the Twins, but Galbatorix approved of torture and cruelty… he was the very definition of "merciless". _You will take him back to his cell for now. If he looks too weak, heal him, but only enough so that he can stagger about unaided. _Tivittica could sense resentment and grudging acknowledgement of her orders, so she added, _Don't question my authority; just do as I say!_

_As you command, sire, _the Twin replied. Tivittica slowly withdrew from his mind, trying to keep her fake identity intact. She felt she'd been fairly successful, especially as the Twin reluctantly began to remove his dagger from Murtagh.

Tivittica slipped back into Murtagh's mind, and realized that he was barely conscious. _Hang in there, Murtagh. The Twins are finished._

_Whatever you did, thanks,_ Murtagh wearily replied. Suddenly, the table Murtagh was chained to wobbled dangerously, and began to tilt to one side.

"Oh sorry," one of the Twins said. "I was feeling a bit clumsy."

_Liar,_ Tivittica thought, but the table abruptly fell over—and landed on Murtagh's back. Murtagh let out an agonized cry, and as the pain swept over him in unleaded torrents, Tivittica completely lost her grip in his mind.

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A/N: Sorry about the cliffhanger! I really don't like the Twins, and I wish they'd get killed sooner (I know, I'm so nice…). Chapter four coming soon! 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: **

A/N: Any ideas for a good chapter title? Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

Tivittica found herself lying on the floor of her room. Her entire body was sore, and she felt incredibly weak. _Perhaps this wasn't such a great idea,_ she thought. _Long-distance travel tends to make me tired. _She slowly sat up, and a wave of dizziness unsteadied her. Tivittica tightened her resolve and stood up, but she could sense that she'd nearly overstepped her personal limits. _Focus_, she told herself. _I still need to get to the dungeons to heal Murtagh, and thinking about how weak I feel won't help anybody right now. _She grimaced as she stepped foreword. _I hate the Twins so much! Why do some people enjoy others pain so much? _An image of her parents sprang unbidden to her mind, and she blinked back tears. She hated seeing others get hurt; hated cruelty; but most of all, she hated Galbatorix for the damage he'd done to Alagaësia.

* * *

When Murtagh regained consciousness, he was lying on the ground of the torture chamber. The crushing weight of the table was gone, but he still felt terrible. The wounds inflicted upon his body were still fresh and bleeding, and his back hurt worst of all. 

"He's awake," a familiar voice called. Murtagh forced himself to look in the direction of the noise, and he saw a Twin crouching over him. _Great_, he thought sarcastically.

"Alright. Get him up and let's return him to his cell," the other Twin replied.

Murtagh felt himself hauled to his feet, and immediately, his legs started to give out on him. The Twin who was watching sighted impatiently and snapped his fingers. Murtagh felt slightly better, and was able to stand without feeling like he was about to pass out. "Let's go," the Twin said. And the other shoved Murtagh foreword. Murtagh staggered, nearly collapsed, and then caught himself. The Twins snickered, then dragged him to the door.

The return trip to the prison was uneventful until the Twins and Murtagh were a floor above the dungeon. A Twin paused and looked about carefully. "You know, Galbatorix never said we couldn't… wrap things up on the way back to the dungeon."

"What were you thinking?" the other Twin asked, and evil grin creeping across his face.

"Well, perhaps we could test the mental barriers in his mind a bit. I didn't get to do a proper job back with the Varden."

Murtagh stiffened as the second Twin said, "What a wonderful idea!" And suddenly, there was a mental probe trying to force its way into his mind. Immediately, Murtagh's barriers blocked it, bur he wasn't sure how long they'd last, for he was much weaker than usual.

A Twin shoved Murtagh into the stone wall and laughed cruelly. The other joined in, and Murtagh found himself being slammed into both walls. To his intense horror, his concentration began slipping, and his defenses nearly faltered. The Twins, sensing victory, renewed both their physical and mental attacks. It was all Murtagh could do to resist…

* * *

Tivittica stood by Murtagh's empty cell, wondering what she'd tell the Twins when they arrived with Murtagh. She could sense he was close because the traces of the shield were a bit stronger. _I'm going to have to do something about this, _she thought. _Galbatorix might find out that I have a hand in this…_

Just then, she heard a loud, emphatic _"No!"_ from the top of the stairs that led to the prison. She mentally followed the noise, hoping she wouldn't have to stray too far from her body this time. To her relief, she didn't have to, but the sight before her eyes was hardly a pleasant one.

Murtagh was on his knees, a gash in his shoulder bleeding freely and a look of intense concentration on his face. Tivittica could sense the mental battle going on, and knew at once that she couldn't let the Twins gain the upper hand. She quickly donned her disguise from earlier and forced her way into one of the Twin's mind. _Just what do you think you're doing?_

_Master? _the Twin thought in surprise.

_Yes, _Tivittica replied tersely. _I want an explanation—now!_

_Right, sire. The, um, prisoner was giving us some trouble and— _

_I could easily search your memory, fool! At least tell me the truth!_

_Well, uh, we uh, decided to…_

You_ decided? No wonder you act so stupid at times! I want you to bring the prisoner to the door of the prisons. Heal him enough so that he can walk unaided and then leave. Someone _competent _will return him to his cell after your departure. Do you understand me?_

_Yes, Master, loud and clear. _

_Good. Now demonstrate that you meant what you said and bring that prisoner to the dungeons!_

_As you command… master._

Tivittica withdrew from the Twin's mind and gently slipped into Murtagh's.

_Who—_he began, but she cut him off.

_The Twins are going to leave you at the door of the prison. When they leave, meet me at your cell. _Before he could reply, she left his mind and returned to her own.

Tivittica gripped the door to her to Murtagh's cell tightly as her mental efforts caught up with her. She felt barely conscious and even weaker than before. _I just hope the Twins don't decide to wait around to see who's more competent than them,_ she thought to herself worriedly.

* * *

When Murtagh finally returned to his cell, he was startled to see Tivittica leaning heavily on the door. The Twins had waited a few minutes by the door to the dungeons before growing bored and leaving Murtagh alone, but returning to the cell had been hard work even without the Twins' presence. Murtagh barely felt strong enough to support his own weight, and his back was still bleeding rather heavily.

"Are you ok?" he asked Tivittica, wondering why she'd decided to wait for him.

"Huh?" She looked up wearily and managed a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. What about yourself?"

"Well…" he paused. "Thanks for helping me back there. I really didn't want _those_ two digging around my mind."

"No problem. I'm just glad—" Tivittica broke off suddenly, and her grip slackened on the door. She fell foreword, and Murtagh immediately caught her. To his surprise, she was unconscious.

Not knowing what else to do, Murtagh laid her down inside his cell and sat down beside her. He felt tired, and leaned his back against the wall, wincing slightly. He thought about several different things, but eventually, his thoughts turned to Tivittica.

There was no doubt in his mind about her power, and it seemed to him that she was more powerful than Eragon. In less than twenty-four hours, she'd broken through his mental defenses, completely blocked on of Galbatorix's blows on him, overpowered the Twins mental defenses twice—and most of this was from a fair distance. _If Eragon tried that, he'd still be trying to break into my mind. _So was Tivittica exactly? Her offer to help him seemed genuine, but why was she working for Galbatorix anyway? Her arrival had to have been recent, but he didn't know of anyone who was eager to join Galbatorix… especially after Eragon's victory at Farthen Dûr. _Maybe she was forced to work for him. But I've never heard anything about her before, so what happened?_

Murtagh kept watch over Tivittica's unconscious form, his mind filled with more questions than answers.

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A/N: New chapter coming soon…please review!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: **

Sorry, I'm not having much luck with chapter titles right now. This chapter is a bit long, but please enjoy!

* * *

Tivittica awoke groggily and slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the prison bars, and at that sight, her eyes snapped open. Her first thought was _Oh no! Galbatorix found out! _But as she became more aware of her surroundings, she realized Murtagh was sitting beside her, and she immediately relaxed, for she was certain Galbatorix wouldn't imprison her with the very man she was trying to help.

"Murtagh?" she whispered, and was startled by how weak her voice sounded.

Immediately, she felt Murtagh stir. "Oh good, you're awake." He handed her a container with water in it. "Here. Drink this."

Tivittica obeyed, feeling even more awake as she did so. "I shouldn't be here!" she exclaimed suddenly, and then sat up. An intense wave of dizziness swept over her, and she groaned and closed her eyes.

Murtagh gently pushed her back down. "Calm down, Tivittica. You're really weak right now, and I don't think a lot of movement is going to help you right now."

"But I need to go. And…I haven't even healed you yet! I'm so inconsiderate; I completely forgot you were injured!"

"Falling unconscious does that to people. It's not your fault," he replied patiently.

"If the Twins come back…if a guard shows up… What if Galbatorix himself decides to check on you?"

"What if? I'm sure you've talked your way out of trouble before, and I can't say I'm inexperienced. We'll deal with that problem if the need arises."

"I'd feel more comfortable if we were in my room. I could be interrogating you or something." She paused. "Tell you what. If you come with me to my room, I'll try to answer any and all of the questions you might have."

"You must be feeling desperate."

"No, I'm just extremely exhausted right now, and that makes me vulnerable. People generally don't go into my quarters, but anyone can enter the dungeons."

Murtagh sighed. "You do have a point. Where's your room?"

"It's only… two floors up from here."

"Two floors? Well, I hope that there aren't that many people about."

Tivittica sat up again, but much more slowly than before. "I have an idea about how we can keep people away." She closed her eyes briefly, then reopened them with a smile. "Now, when anyone comes close, they'll just see some unimportant servant they wouldn't think to order about."

"That's a good idea, but how much of your energy did you use this time?"

"Not a lot," Tivittica reassured him. "Could we please leave now?"

"I suppose." He stood up carefully, and Tivittica suddenly realized that he was in a lot more pain than he was letting on.

"Maybe I should heal you first," Tivittica said worriedly.

"You can heal me after we get to your room," Murtagh replied, the faintest hint of a smile on his face.

Tivittica knew he was teasing her, but she could tell that he was serious as well. "Then let's get there quickly."

* * *

The halls were surprisingly empty as Tivittica and Murtagh made their way to Tivittica's private quarters. Both were supporting one another, though Tivittica found herself leaning on Murtagh more than he was on her. Climbing the stairs was slow and laborious work, but eventually, they reached their destination.

Tivittica pulled out a key and unlocked the door. She then pushed open the door, and they entered together. The room itself was simple, yet warm in atmosphere. A bookshelf with several books in it lined one wall. Two comfortable looking chairs sat beside a table, which had an open book on it. Tivittica closed the door and then turned to Murtagh. "If you need to lie down, my bed's in the other room."

"Thanks," Murtagh replied. He walked over to the table and picked up the book. When he read the title, his eyes widened. "This is a book of Alagaësia's history!"

"Oh yeah, I was reading that," Tivittica replied.

"But aren't history books banned? And to have one right under Galbatorix's nose, too…"

"I've had that book for a few years now. Galbatorix never imagined that a young girl on the run would ever carry something like that with her… and it helped that I disguised the cover."

Murtagh set the book back down. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

"Yes," Tivittica agreed. "But first, I need to heal you."

"If you heal me completely, Galbatorix will grow suspicious."

"I know," Tivittica replied sadly. "But I refuse to watch you stagger about, almost bleeding to death."

"Still…"

"I'll be careful," Tivittica promised. "What hurts the most?"

"My, uh, back."

"Alright. Sit on the table, and I'll see what I can do." Murtagh obediently sat on the table, taking care to push the book out of the way.

Tivittica stared at his back. Half of his scar was bleeding freely from a deep knife wound. She gently reached out and touched his wound, and he winced. "Sorry."

"Why? You didn't do it, and you stopped the Twins."

"I shouldn't have let them do that to you in the first place," Tivittica replied. She very carefully placed her hand on the center of his back where the Twins had stopped. Murtagh jerked away.

"That _hurt_."

"Well, I have to have to have direct contact with the injury in order to heal you effectively."

"The Twins didn't do that."

"I'm not the Twins. Now hold still."

"I'd rather not," Murtagh replied as Tivittica reached foreword again. He jumped down from the table.

"Murtagh…" Tivittica began warningly. He laughed and walked towards the back of the room. She sighed and followed him. Murtagh waited until she was close, and then he opened the door that led to her bedroom and slipped inside. Immediately, warning bells went off in Tivittica's head. She hadn't closed that door when she'd left, and she ordered the servant who cleaned not to enter her room that day. Heart in mouth, Tivittica entered her bedroom.

The first thing she noticed was the man completely covered in black. She could sense that he'd been using magic, perhaps for concealment. But she didn't dwell on his identity, for he was fighting Murtagh. Murtagh was at a disadvantage, for the mysterious assailant was armed with a sharp dagger, and Murtagh had no weapons, only the injuries he'd sustained from Galbatorix and the Twins. However, this didn't stop Murtagh from defending himself. He dodged the man's thrust and followed up by kicking the man in the leg. The man lost his balance, muttered something angrily under his breath, and renewed his attack upon Murtagh. Tivittica could tell that Murtagh wouldn't last long, though. He'd lost too much blood, and already, she could sense he was tiring. It was time for her to intervene.

Tivittica took a deep breath. "Who are you, and how dare you attack this man!" Magic projected her voice around the room: loud, booming, and utterly assertive. Both men paused in their battle, and Tivittica immediately took control of the stranger's mind. There were traces of another presence in it, and she realized at once that someone had been controlling the man. He suddenly lunged at Murtagh with his dagger, and she quickly paralyzed his arm, and then his entire body. He started struggling, but his attempts were feeble, and Tivittica dismissed them with ease. _I release your bonds,_ she thought, and sent her magic coursing through his body, eradicating the traces of the other magic at work in him.

The man crumpled to the ground, and Tivittica removed his knife, then stepped back. His eyes blinked several times, and slowly, he sat up, looking about in confusion. Pulling the mask off of his face, he stared at it in surprise.

Tivittica recognized him as Tzadik, a young guard who had befriended her when she'd first arrived and frequently helped out in the kitchens. "Can you tell me what you remember last?" Tivittica asked kindly.

"Yes," Tzadik replied, but then he realized who he was talking to and where exactly he was. Blushing, he apologized. "I'm sorry, Tivittica. I don't remember coming here at all, and I don't know why I'm here."

"That's all right," Tivittica assured him. "Someone was controlling you with their mind."

"Is that why I have a headache?" Tzadik asked.

"It could be. Could you please tell me what happened?"

"Well, I'd just been sent out of the kitchens when I felt a strange, sudden urge to visit the storage room by the stairs. So I did, and…" he paused. "I remember a face, but it was in shadow. And then… I woke up here."

Tivittica nodded understandingly. "Well, that just confirms what I thought. But who hates me so badly that they would send an assassin to ambush me? And not even a professional one, I might add."

Tzadik's face paled. "'Send an assassin'? You know I would never want to kill you!"

"I do know, Tzadik, and I don't blame you. I just wish I knew who was controlling you."

"Wouldn't there be traces from the magic?" Murtagh asked. Tzadik jumped, noticing Murtagh for the first time.

"Isn't that—" he began, but Tivittica cut him off impatiently.

"Tzadik, this is Murtagh, and vice versa. And Murtagh, you're right, I could track the person… but surely with that kind of power would know that…" She shook her head and turned back to Tzadik. She touched hid head and closed her eyes, placing a barrier around her friend's mind. "There. The next time someone tries to enter your mind, I'll know at once. And they'll have a bit of trouble breaking in."

"Thanks, Tivittica," Tzadik replied, looking impressed.

"No problem. Now, you'd better leave before you're missed."

Tzadik stood, nodded at both Tivittica and Murtagh, and then left. Tivittica redirected her attention to Murtagh. "Now will you please let me heal your back?"

Murtagh sighed. "All right. I'm not sure I'm ready to face what's in your closet. What comes after the assassin?"

Tivittica rolled her eyes. "Very funny." She touched his back again, this time muttering the words "Waíse heill" under her breath. She focused on healing the worst of the injury and on making the wound less deep and reluctantly stopped before it was completely finished. She also sent sparks of healing across his entire body to help any other injuries he had. "Now, was that so bad?"

"Well…no. Thanks," Murtagh added. "I feel a lot better."

"Is there anywhere else you want me to heal?"

Murtagh shook his head. "You got the worst of it."

"All right. If you don't mind, I'm going to sit down." She walked over to her bed, Murtagh following.

"Are you feeling ok?" he asked, a note of concern in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Tivittica sat down on her bed, and Murtagh examined her blanket with interest. It was midnight blue. With a silhouette of a person riding a large, silver raven.

"Is that supposed to be the Raven Riders?" Murtagh asked with a laugh.

"No," Tivittica replied, a smile flitting across her face. "The raven is my personal symbol. It's an intelligent creature, yet there are many people who shun it. It's often associated with the wrong group of people, even if it has nothing to do with them."

"You don't strike me as the type of person to be shunned by many," Murtagh commented.

"Well…"

"Why are you serving Galbatorix when you hate him as much as I do… and maybe even more?"

Tivittica didn't reply immediately, instead staring off into the distance. "I think I should start from the very beginning. That is, if you're willing to listen."

"Go ahead, I don't mind," Murtagh replied. He remembered telling Eragon his own life story weeks ago, and wondered if Tivittica wanted to share hers with the right people as much as he had.

Tivittica raised her hand, and the chair by her closet rose and drifted towards the bed. Murtagh stepped out of the way, and for a moment, Tivittica was tempted to chase him around the room with the chair. Instead, she set it down beside her bed. "There you go, Murtagh." He sat down, nodding his thanks, and she leaned back. "All right. From the beginning…"

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A/N: I'm sorry to leave you off on such a major cliffhanger! Tivittica's history is in the next chapter, which I will post very soon (it's written, just not typed…yet). Thank you to all my reviewers so far! 


	6. A brief history lesson

**Chapter Six:** _A brief history lesson_

A/N: Here at last is Tivittica's past! Anyway, please enjoy. This is a lengthy chapter!

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"My father was an elf, though I suspect he had some human blood in him, for he matured much quicker than the other elves. In human years, I think he would've lived to be slightly over a hundred, but it doesn't really matter now… When he was old enough, he left his home near Ellesméra to explore the human's lands. Some elves disapproved of his actions while others felt he'd made the right decision to see as much of the world as possible in the limited amount of time he had to live. 

"His name was Vaelyn, and one day, he injured himself while hunting. My mother found him unconscious near her home and cared for him as best she could. He was grateful for her actions, and stayed with her for a few months, helping her with her tasks and such… One day he proposed to her, and she joyously accepted. They soon got married, and within a year, I was born. The three of us lived peacefully together, but when I was six, disaster struck.

"Galbatorix had taken over the land some time before I was born, and both of my parents were very outspoken in their resistance towards him. The villagers in the nearby town helped warn them when trouble approached, and they were always on their guard. But eventually, Galbatorix grew tired of their blatant disrespect, and sent one of his most faithful servants to 'take care' of them. He struck quickly, before my parents could be warned." Tivittica stared off into the distance, seeing the images of destruction in her mind. "I remember my mother, Arianna, taking me to the hidden tunnel we'd built as an escape route. I did as I was told, not knowing that I'd never see my parents again. I emerged from the tunnel, I looked back to see that my home was in flames. The name of my parents' murderer was still fresh in my mind, and I vowed that when I was strong enough, I'd return the favor. His name was…Morzan."

"What!" Murtagh exclaimed. "You mean to tell me that my…_father_ murdered your parents?"

"Yes," Tivittica replied quietly. "Anyway, I wandered about, not sure where to go, for my parents hadn't expected an attack so soon, and they thought one of them would survive to help me if something like that occurred. I finally reached the village, exhausted and still in shock from the recent events. A woman found me and helped me recover. When I was well enough to go about my daily tasks, she turned me over the village leader to decide my fate. He gave me to the village innkeeper, who had plenty of work to keep me busy. The only problem was that the innkeeper was a very harsh master. He worked me almost to the breaking point for about a year until I'd finally had enough.

"There was a girl named Nalia that I befriended who also worked for the innkeeper. I forgot what she did, but our master was drunk and in a fine rage. He started beating her, but I attacked him and then beat _him_. I realized Nalia and I couldn't stay with him any longer, so we fled. I managed to find a safe home for Nalia, but I kept going, desperate to leave the village and the area around it."

"You were only seven, and you beat a drunk man?" Murtagh asked skeptically.

"He wasn't much of a fighter, and I was angry and had the element of surprise on my side. After that incident, I traveled the roads, keeping away from people unless I had trouble foraging. But a lone traveler is always easy prey, and one night, I was attacked. I probably would've been killed, but a man named Viribus rescued me. He took me back to his home and healed my injuries. When I got better, he offered to take me on as his apprentice, and I agreed. I stayed with him for eight years, and he taught me how to block my mind, heal others, and defend myself. Viribus always told me to use my powers for the good of others, and taught me to think ahead before speaking in the Ancient Language. He helped me learn to sense the intentions of others without having to enter their mind, and how to follow trails left by magic. The people who lived in his village accepted me, and finally, I felt as if I'd found a home.

"But of course, the period of peace wasn't meant to last. Some soldiers were briefly staying in the village, and they got drunk. One was a bit…interested in me, but I wanted nothing to do with him. The only problem was that I was completely terrified, and forgot all of my training. Viribus arrived in time to help me, but the soldier got mad at him and drew his sword. Viribus probably could've defeated him, but the other soldiers arrived, and Viribus hated to hurt others. Before I could help, Viribus was mortally injured, two of the soldiers were dead, and the others had fled. I tried to heal Viribus, but it was too late to save him. Before he died, he told me that he didn't blame me, and that next time, he trusted that I would know what to do." Tivittica's voice faltered for a moment. She briefly closed her eyes, and then reopened them, looking a bit more determined.

"After that episode, I left, taking the possessions Viribus had given to me. He left me the history book that you saw in the other room, and my armor came from him as well. I traveled to Bullridge, where I quietly took up residence. Nobody really knew who I was, and left me alone for most of the year. Later, towards winter, one of their most important farmers broke his left arm badly. There wasn't a local healer at the time, so I offered to help fix his arm. The villagers agreed, and after I had completely healed his arm, they accepted me as the local healer.

"Time passed. Whispered rumors said that a dragon egg had been stolen from Galbatorix, but I hadn't believed any of them…until the day the Ra'zac came to my village and began asking about any strange things that had happened recently. They were particularly interested in a large, dark blue stone. No one in the village knew about the egg, of course, but a few people mentioned that my healing skills were incredible…just like magic. That got the Ra'zac's attention, and that night, they tried to capture me and bring me back to Galbatorix. I was able to drive them off, but I knew that the citizens of Bullridge would be in danger if I stayed there much longer. So I packed up my belongings, left instructions for the person I chose as my successor, and took to the road yet again.

"I'm not really sure where I was headed. Perhaps I would've joined Eragon, and eventually, you. Or maybe I would've traveled about Alagaësia, helping out villages that were in need of medical assistance. But I was ambushed one night by the Ra'zac, and this time, they were ready for me. I managed to injure one, but another attacked from behind, rendering me unconscious. They took me to Urû'baen and left me there. Galbatorix arranged for my healing, and when he deemed me well enough, he invited me to dinner.

"He apologized for the Ra'zac's behavior and made polite conversation throughout the meal, but I was wary of him. I knew that both my parents had hated him, and I could sense that he controlled powerful magic. When I had nearly finished, he started to tell me about the glorious vision he had for Alagaësia. Throughout his narrative, I kept thinking about how the land was falling into chaos and how he was responsible for my parents' death. If this was supposed to become a large, peaceful kingdom where science and art flourished, why was he taking such a violent approach to settling the land? If he truly was a just ruler, there would be no Varden, or blatant shows of hostility by the people. When he had finished talking, he asked if I would be interested in serving him. I replied more or less along the lines of 'go jump in a moat'. He grew silent at that, and finally said that I was too stressed from my journey. He sent me back to my room for a couple days, and then invited me to dinner again.

"This time, he asked me about myself. I replied that he was responsible for my parents' death, and that if he wanted to properly fulfill his dream for Alagaësia, then he should let someone else take the throne…and that he really should go jump in a moat. He stared at me for several minutes with out saying anything, and then quietly said that it would be best if I returned to my room. I stayed there for about a week before he summoned me again.

"He met me in the throne room this time. He told me that I was to stay for a couple of months or so at the palace to get acquainted with the way things were done and that he would be testing my abilities. If they met his standards, he would perhaps let me train and be trained by others. Of course, none of this was a request. So I stayed awhile, and during that time, I realized that if I agreed to help Galbatorix, then I would be better equipped to resist him. And when a little more than two months had passed, Galbatorix summoned me once again.

"He asked if I would be willing to join his army, but I declined, respectfully this time. He then asked if I would be willing to do a few odd jobs for him: delivering supplies and messages, training some of the troops, interrogating prisoners; that kind of thing. I reluctantly agreed, trying not to make Galbatorix suspicious. At first, he only gave me small tasks. But as the days passed, he slowly began to trust me with larger responsibilities, and monitored me less. This enabled me to send supplies to Surda, warn villages that Galbatorix had sent soldiers to put down their resistance, and send soldiers to the wrong locations. I was—and am—always careful to conceal my acts of sabotage. And to this day, I haven't been caught."

Murtagh was quiet for a moment. "Did you know that Brom killed Morzan?"

"Yes. I learned of that during my stay with Viribus."

"How did you find out about me?"

"Viribus was well informed. I've wanted to meet you since I learned of you."

Murtagh hesitated. "Did you think I was like Morzan?"

"I wasn't sure. I didn't _really_ know who you were. But the fact that Morzan, of all people, had had a child intrigued me. He didn't strike me as the sort who'd become a father."

"He wasn't a very good one," Murtagh muttered.

Tivittica nodded sympathetically. "I know. The more I heard about you, the more I realized we had a lot in common. I mean, our childhoods weren't that similar, but Morzan made both of our younger years difficult and painful. And eventually, Galbatorix grew interested in us." Her expression darkened slightly. "I wish there was more I could do to resist him."

"Why don't you attack him?" Murtagh asked softly. "You're definitely more powerful than…some people I've met, and Galbatorix is wary of your powers. Even if you don't kill him, you could seriously damage him."

"Let me ask you this, Murtagh. Why don't _you_ attack Galbatorix?"

"I'm not powerful enough…and I _am_ his prisoner."

"Exactly. I don't think I'm powerful enough to defeat him, and by sacrificing myself, what good would it do to Alagaësia? Galbatorix would crack down on all the villages and any hints of resistance. Everything I've worked for would be undone. What good would come of my actions? The chance for yet another person to attempt to kill Galbatorix, who by now would be on his guard, more so than before?" Tivittica sighed. "As much as I hate Galbatorix, I can't openly oppose him. Not yet."

Murtagh nodded. "That's how I feel, too. I just wish he hadn't captured me."

Tivittica looked at him carefully. "I can help you escape, but not immediately."

"Why not? You could escape with me, so Galbatorix wouldn't be able to punish you."

"I'd like to do that, Murtagh, but that requires intense planning, and right now, I feel really tired."

Murtagh didn't reply. He'd forgotten that Tivittica had nearly overexerted herself, and he knew she was right.

Abruptly, Tivittica muttered, "No! Not now!" Her eyes were closed, but she looked extremely focused.

"Are you ok?" Murtagh asked worriedly.

Tivittica ignored him, suddenly letting out a hiss of breath. "No—keep out!"

And suddenly, Murtagh realized what was happening—someone was trying to break into Tivittica's mind.

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A/N: Mwa ha ha…another cliffhanger! Viribus means "men" in Latin. Tivittica is 17. Please review, and I will post chapter seven a.s.a.p.! 


	7. A vision of the future

**Chapter Seven: **_A vision of the future_

A/N: Update, June 3rd 2009—I changed things a little, deleted the kiss. I fully agree w/Mysteerya, who pointed out that it was too sudden and not well developed. Only the beginning of my editing (*sigh…*)

Anyways, here's chapter 7!!!

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Tivittica came to slowly. She opened her eyes, and to her surprise, she was lying on the ground with Murtagh sitting beside her. "What happened?"

Murtagh shifted slightly. "I was wondering when you were going to be ok. You fell off the bed, and I was worried you might accidentally hurt yourself. How do you feel now?"

"I have a massive headache," she replied, sitting up.

Murtagh nodded. "I thought you might. Who tried to attack you?"

Tivittica hesitated. "I'm not sure. They didn't get into my mind, but whoever it was very powerful."

"Was it the Twins?"

"I'm not sure. It could've been them, but this…this felt different."

"Do you think that was the same person who was controlling your friend?"

"Maybe…" Tivittica sighed. "Whoever it was chose a good time to attack me. I wasn't prepared for an attack…they almost got my defenses."

"Why did they stop attacking you?"

"I don't know. Maybe they got tired or distracted." Suddenly, Tivittica gasped and fell onto Murtagh.

"Tivittica!" he exclaimed. She didn't reply, but her eyes started to turn to black. Then she started struggling, and her eyes began to return to their original shade. Black—violet—black, and then back to violet. Murtagh was certain that Tivittica's prior attacker was at it again, and he wanted to help her. But how?

Tentatively, he reached out with his mind. There was a dark, powerful presence that was threatening to engulf another presence, which Murtagh recognized at once as Tivittica. Her assailant managed to make a break in her defenses, but before he thought about what he was doing, Murtagh filled the gap with his own mind.

It was a curious sensation as Tivittica wearily joined minds with his. The opposing conscience crashed mercilessly into their defenses, but Murtagh and Tivittica erected an impenetrable fortress around their minds and eventually forced their attacker to back down and leave them alone. When Murtagh was certain that the mysterious presence wouldn't attack again, he carefully withdrew from Tivittica's mind. But as he did so, a strange vision filled his mind: Two figures standing on a plateau. Smoke from the battlefield surrounding them obscured their faces. One man lay on the ground, arm raised in a last, desperate attempt to ward off some blow. And yet, the blow did not come. Instead, the other man pointed his index finger at the downed man in an accusing stance…

The image faded as Murtagh returned to his own body. He blinked and looked about, then realized he was still holding Tivittica. At that moment, Tivittica stirred.

"Thanks, Murtagh," she murmured. She sounded exhausted, and she didn't move from her position. "He…saw what was going on. But I don't know who he is. His presence was so…" She shuddered and clung to Murtagh's shoulder. To Murtagh's complete amazement, Tivittica's eyes were full of tears, and she started to sob quietly into him.

"Murtagh…he wanted to control me. He wanted to possess me; make me his eyes and ears so that he could expose me to Galbatorix. He wanted me to attack you so you would get angry and kill me. And he wanted me to relive my worst memories…and be completely at his mercy." Tivittica took a deep, shuddering breath. "When the Ra'zac first came to Bullridge, there was an old man who'd recently passed away. He'd led a good life, was respected by all, and died peacefully. And they…they ate him. I'd been preparing his body for the funeral when the Ra'zac came to my home, and once they came inside, I found I couldn't really move. I was forced to watch as they…" She broke off, unable to continue, more tears streaming from her face.

Murtagh wasn't sure what to do, so he held her in his arms. He felt pity for Tivittica. She couldn't be older than he was, and unlike him, she knew how it felt to be loved. To have all of those people snatched cruelly away was a terrible thing indeed, and the fact that his father was mostly responsible for that made Murtagh want to help Tivittica even more.

Though it felt a bit awkward to be holding her, he hoped it would comfort her in some way. It was the least he could do.

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A/N: Sorry this chapter was so short. Let me know if the ending works better!


	8. A vision of the past

**Chapter Eight:** _A vision of the past_

A/N: At last, chapter eight!

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Murtagh sat on the chair in Tivittica's bedroom, wondering what would happen next. Tivittica had fallen asleep in his arms, and he'd laid her on his bed. She looked much calmer now, and Murtagh knew she was getting much needed rest…

Murtagh sighed. He could probably escape if he really tried to, but he didn't want to leave Tivittica at the mercy of Galbatorix. He wondered who the mystery attacker, and what they wanted with Tivittica. She'd been right; the force hadn't felt like the Twins. But who else could it be?

Murtagh's thought drifted back to Tivittica. He wasn't surprised that she was part elf, but if she hadn't used her powers so much, he probably would've never suspected. Tivittica didn't really look like an elf, or act like that one for that matter, but Murtagh hadn't exactly met many elves. He did know, however, that Tivittica wasn't ready for yet another attack and he watched her sleeping from carefully for any signs of a disturbance.

He wasn't sure what to think of Tivittica. He liked and respected her, but did he _really_ know her? What exactly were her motives? _Does that matter?_ he thought. _She wants to—and has—helped me. Her offer seems genuine—must I still be wary of her?_ He felt confused and his earlier actions only added to the chaos swirling about in his mind.

Suddenly, Tivittica moaned and turned over restlessly. Murtagh immediately stood and walked over to her, anxiety creeping over him

"No! Father!" Tivittica suddenly cried, and Murtagh hesitated. Was this an attack, or was she reliving a memory? There was only one way to find out… After debating the ethics for a brief second, he extended his conscience and entered Tivittica's mind. Murtagh encountered no resistance as he went in, and immediately, he saw what was upsetting Tivittica.

_A_ _man with jet black hair, light green eyes, and pointed ears stood in front of a door, a deep gash in his right arm and a sword gripped firmly in his left hand. In the doorframe stood…_ Murtagh's breath caught in his throat. He recognized the man with black hair, black eyes, and a cruel, malicious expression on his face too well… it was his father.

_"Fool! Do you truly think you can resist the Empire? That which feeds you, protects you, allows you to prosper?" Morzan hissed._

_The elf glared at him. "It's not the Empire I oppose, Morzan. It's that unjust, devious man who dares to call himself king and those who follow him willingly—especially the Wrydfell_ (Forsworn)_."_

The view shifted to show a woman a few years older than Murtagh. She had long, flowing dark brown hair and turquoise eyes. She looked a lot like Tivittica, and suddenly, Murtagh realized what he was seeing: Tivittica's parent's in their last moments.

_"Tiv,"_ the woman—Tivittica's mother—said _"we need to go."_

_"But what about Father?" _A young voice replied.The view shifted to the elf, now battling Morzan, and then returned._ "Will he be ok?"_

_"Vaelyn knows how to take care of himself. Do you remember what we practiced?" _Tivittica nodded_. "Alright, then. Let's go." _Tivittica's mother took hold of her daughter's hand and led her through the house. As they passed a large mirror, Murtagh caught a glimpse of a younger version of Tivittica. She had large, innocent violet eyes and reddish-brown hair that was slightly longer than her shoulder. She wore a pretty maroon-colored dress that brought out the red highlights in her hair and a necklace with a dragon charm dangling from it. Murtagh smiled to himself. Some things never changed.

They descended into the basement of the house, and Tivittica's mother led her daughter to a concealed passageway. "_Ok, Tiv. You'll go through the tunnel, and when you get out, hide yourself well. Your father or I will come for you as soon as we can, but if you need to go to the village to hide, that's fine."_

_"How will you and Father find me?" _Tivittica asked. She seemed to be taking the news well, Murtagh noted, but did she understand that this was real?

"_Remember how your father told you that you can find people without having to actually search for them? Your father and I will find you, no matter what." _She smiled and hugged her daughter. _"Now go. And always remember, Tivittica, that Vaelyn and I love you."_

_Tivittica entered the tunnel, looking back once to tell her mother that she loved her too. _The tunnel gradually sloped upward, and when Tivittica had followed it to its end, she found herself outside, near her home. As Murtagh watched, stray sparks of magic shot out of the house, and he could sense powerful magic at work…there was clearly an intense battle being fought inside. _There was a scream, a loud, angry curse directed at Morzan, and a chilling, malicious laugh. A bolt of magic that missed its target smashed through a glass window in the front of the house, then dissipated. _Clearer sounds of the battle drifted to where Tivittica stood, unable to pull her gaze away from the sight.

_"Arianna—no! Arianna!" a grief filled voice cried out. _The pain in the man's voice was intense, and Murtagh felt a surge of guilt. He'd never liked his father before this, but now…

"_Do you still refuse to acknowledge Galbatorix as your king?" Morzan sneered._

_"As long as I still breathe," came the cold, determined reply._

_"Then let's end this quickly!" _There were more sounds of fighting for several minutes, and then…silence, followed by a strangled gasp.

_"That's more like it," Morzan declared in a satisfied tone. His opponent suddenly yelled something in the Ancient Language, and Morzan let out a curse, then shouted back in reply. Silence fell once again, and Morzan chuckled darkly. The door to the house opened, and he walked out, a malicious figure in black. _

_Tivittica!__ came an urgent voice in Tivittica's mind_. Murtagh was startled, but quickly realized that this was still part of Tivittica's memory.

_Father! she replied. What happened? Are you ok?_

_That's…not important. I want you to do something for me._

_Anything, Father. Is Mother ok?_

_There was a brief pause. __Don't let that stranger, Morzan, find you. I'll protect you for now, but I do have my limits. Keep safe, and remember, your mother and I will always love you, regardless of what happens.__ The mental link suddenly faltered and withdrew._

_Tivittica crouched down in the bushes, unwilling to leave just yet. She had to see if her parents were ok, but first, she wanted the stranger to leave. As she watched, Morzan spread his arms wide. "Brisingr!" he shouted, and flames flickered into life. They quickly developed into a blazing inferno, and within seconds, the house Tivittica had lived her entire childhood in was engulfed in flames. Morzan watched for a few minutes more, then turned, mounted his horse, and rode off. Tivittica stared at the burning home before her, and whispered, "By the blade of my father—" her voice faltered briefly "—I'll defeat Morzan when I'm strong enough to do so and avenge my parents!" As she spoke, the reality of the situation began to sink in, and silent tears began falling onto her cheeks._

Murtagh watched the scene before him, felling shocked. According to Tivittica, she'd only been six when this had happened. Suddenly, the image faded and was replaced by darkness._ A dark, chilling voice hissed, __I have found you at last…__ but then it was pushed aside viciously by—_Murtagh blinked. It was his own mental presence that had interfered, and he realized that this, too, was another of Tivittica's memories, though evidently much more recent. He could sense Tivittica's discomfort, and carefully withdrew from her mind.

Murtagh found himself standing over Tivittica's bed. He shook her gently and said, "Tivittica, you should wake up now." Her eyes fluttered open and she slowly focused on Murtagh.

"Murtagh…did I scare you? I was having a…" her expression darkened slightly. "…a bad dream."

"Well, I did get worried, and I hope you don't mind, but I went into your mind to see what was wrong and…" he trailed off. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's not your fault." Tivittica sat up and stretched. Her eyes focused on the window set into the wall and widened slightly. "Murtagh, what time is it?"

"Early evening, I think."

"Oh no. Murtagh, you shouldn't be here. I'm going to have to return you to your cell."

"What?"

"I have to. Galbatorix _can't_ find out. I'm sorry about all those attacks—I really hadn't meant for you to stay so long. And I'll try to arrange for your escape…" Tivittica sighed and looked at Murtagh, who was patiently listening to her sudden outburst. "Thank you, Murtagh. For everything…" She slid off the bed and stood, brushing past Murtagh as she crossed to the door. "Coming?"

Murtagh joined her by the doorframe. "How are we returning? Are you going to do the same thing you did last time?"

"Well, I thought I'd try something different. I was going to turn you invisible." Before Murtagh could reply, Tivittica snapped her fingers and Murtagh felt a strange sensation creep over him. When he glanced down, he was surprised to see only a faint outline of himself.

"That was fast," Murtagh commented.

Tivittica shrugged. "If we see the Twins, I'll tell them that I'm escorting you to your cell…that is, if they even notice you." She smiled and led him back to the main room.

"Can you see me?" Murtagh asked.

"A faint outline. Everyone else won't see anything."

Murtagh nodded. "You look a lot better."

"I feel a lot better. Sleep helped a lot…among other things." Murtagh raised an eyebrow, but Tivittica didn't elaborate. "We should probably head out now." She opened the door and gestured politely to Murtagh. "After you."

Murtagh walked into the hallway, and to his relief, no one was there. Tivittica joined him, closing the door behind her. She set off down the hallway, Murtagh following her silently. He felt slightly dazed by the sudden turn of events, but he kept thinking about what he had seen in Tivittica's mind. The voice at the end…it had been disconcertingly familiar… _No, it couldn't have been Morzan, _Murtagh told himself sternly. _He was killed by Brom some years ago, and once you're dead, there's no coming back._

Soon, they had returned to Murtagh's cell. Tivittica snapped her fingers, and Murtagh shivered as his body became visible again. "I think that's everything," Tivittica said. "I'll make sure you're fed properly. The shield in your mind will continue to protect your memories, and if Galbatorix tries anything else, I'll intervene as best I can." She paused. Murtagh could sense that there was something else she wanted to tell him, but instead she said, "I'll contact you soon." She turned and strode off down the hall. Murtagh watched her retreating form, his thoughts a confusing tumult of emotions. Who was Tivittica, exactly?

* * *

**A/N:** The scene in Tivittica's mind was hard to type, sorry. If you got confused:

This is Murtagh's point of view

_This is what Tivittica saw._

"_This is dialogue Tivittica heard."_

_This is the mental conversations between characters in Tivittica's memory_

I almost confused myself, if you were wondering. Anyway, I hoped you liked this chapter! Chapter 9 coming soon!

To **Bookaholic, **who reviewed anon.—Thanks so much for reviewing! Your review made me very happy. I'll see you at TC! -


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: **???

A/N: I'm not sure what to title this chapter either. Grr! Anyway, sorry for the wait. At last, here's the next chapter!

* * *

The next day was, for the most part, uneventful. The Twins arrived in the afternoon with food, which they never gave to Murtagh, instead taunting him with it before leaving. Galbatorix didn't summon him, and it was close to midnight when Tivittica finally arrived.

Her arm was raised slightly, and she looked about carefully before snapping her fingers. To Murtagh's surprise, a covered tray was floating beside her. Tivittica carefully sent the large platter foreword, and to Murtagh's further astonishment, the bars of cell rippled slightly, allowing the tray to pass through. It gently landed at his feet with a flourish.

"What did you do?" Murtagh asked.

"A friend of mine in the kitchens helped me get this together for you. I had to be careful bringing it down here but…" she paused, spread her arms out, and muttered something under her breath. The air around Murtagh's cell shimmered, as though one was looking at it through heat. Tivittica lowered her hands, then said, "Atra nosu waíse vardo fra eld hórnya (let us be warded from listeners)." She paused. "Now we can talk in private. And if anyone passes by, they'll just see you sleeping in your cell." She opened his cell door magically and sat down across from Murtagh. "I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner."

"Oh no, that's fine," Murtagh replied as he removed the lid from the tray. His eyes widened when he saw the contents: lots of delicious-looking meat, bread, and fruit, and two flagons, one with wine, the other with water. And suddenly, Murtagh realized how hungry he was.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Tivittica asked. Murtagh shook his head, his mouth full of savory steak. Tivittica smiled and poured herself a glass of wine. "Did anything interesting happen today?"

Murtagh swallowed. "No, not really."

Tivittica pursed her lips. "I'm not sure if that's good or bad."

"I hope it's good…if Galbatorix loses interest in me, it'll make your job a lot easier."

"Yes, but I'm certain Galbatorix has other plans in store for you. Why else would he have captured you?" She paused. "Unless… did you ever agree to do something for him?"

Murtagh didn't immediately reply. "I…made a mistake." Seeing no reaction from Tivittica, he took a deep breath and asked, "Would you like me to start from the beginning?"

"Are you finished with your meal?"

"For now." Murtagh carefully pushed his food to the side and leaned against the wall of his cell. He closed his eyes for a moment to concentrate, then reopened them and began to tell Tivittica of his past, from the time Morzan met his mother, to the hidden pregnancy, his birth, his childhood, and Galbatorix's sudden interest in him. He related his escape, how he had met Eragon, and the adventures that had ensured. He ended with his capture by the Urgals and the Twins' betrayal. Throughout Murtagh's narrative, Tivittica remained silent, with the exception of the occasional question or comment. When he was completely finished, Tivittica leaned back.

"So…Eragon's your brother."

"Yes. I suppose it makes sense, but I was still surprised to learn of it."

"And he doesn't know he's Morzan's son?"

"No."

"Do you have any idea where he is?"

"He could be with the Varden; I'm not really sure. Why do you want to know?"

"I could try to scry him for you, if you'd like."

"That'd be great," Murtagh said, brightening slightly.

"Alright then." Tivittica slipped a mirror out of her pocket and laid it on the floor between them. "I've never met Eragon, though I've heard about him prior to your tale. We'll have to link minds in order to scry him… this should be interesting."

"Link minds? Why?"

"You can't scry that which you have not seen. I've never seen Eragon, but you don't really know how to use the Ancient Language. So I thought that if we linked minds, then we could find Eragon."

"Well, I suppose…" Murtagh cautiously linked minds with Tivittica. _What do you want me to do?_

_Picture Eragon as clearly as possible,_ Tivittica replied. Slowly, an image of the young Dragon Rider filled their minds, and before Murtagh lost concentration, Tivittica murmured, "Draumr kópa (dream stare)."

The mirror shimmered, then abruptly darkened. The mental image of Eragon dissipated, and Tivittica shivered and released her magic. _Let's try one more time, Murtagh._

Unfortunately, their second attempt brought the same results. _What's going on? _Murtagh asked.

_I'm not sure… I can't scry Eragon, but there are several possible reasons why it didn't work. I might try later, but for now, I'm finished._

Murtagh withdrew his mental presence and returned to his body. He felt slightly worried that they hadn't been able to scry Eragon, but Tivittica had a point—too many things could've gone wrong. "Thank you for trying," he told her.

"No problem." She sighed. "But I wish it had worked." She took another sip of wine.

"Do you have any idea who was trying to attack you yesterday?"

"No…but how many people have that kind of power?"

"Not many."

"That's what worries me. Another unchecked power that's loyal to Galbatorix can't be good for any of us."

Murtagh nodded. He couldn't help but remember the dark voice from Tivittica's memory, and he knew exactly what Tivittica meant. They talked for a bit longer, and then Tivittica reluctantly stood.

"It's getting late, Murtagh. I must go." She waved her hand and the empty dishes rose into the air. "I'll send someone to collect the rest whenever you're finished. Good night…Murtagh." She exited the cell, turned the dishes invisible, closed and locked the door, and slowly removed the magical barriers she had enacted. Her gaze lingered on Murtagh for a moment, and then she turned and left, the dishes floating behind her.

* * *

**A/N:** Mwa ha ha! Floating dishes! (clears throat) Sorry, random moment. Chapter ten coming soon!!!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: **???

A/N: Sorry about these chapter titles…sometimes I have them picked out, and sometimes I have trouble. Anyway, here's the next chapter!!!(sorry it's so short).

**Bookaholic:** You're right; the reason Tiv can't scry Eragon is because of the medallion, which is featured towards the beginning of Eldest.

**keils woodrow jr:** Action coming soon!!! There's also a climatic battle scene in chapter 21, which is written, but unfortunately not typed. Eragon won't come in until the latter portion of the story, and Arya's not even going to be in this fanfict. There are a few more O/Cs coming in chapter 13, so stay tuned!

* * *

The next morning, Tivittica was summoned to Galbatorix's throne room. With trepidation, she left for the chamber and was allowed in almost immediately. She entered hesitantly. "You asked for me, sir?" 

"Yes, I did," Galbatorix replied. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"And what would that be?"

"I need you to carry this message to a contact of mine in Dras-Leona."

"Who is this contact?"

"Go to Marcus Tábor. He'll make sure the message is taken care of."

Tivittica paused. "When do you want me to leave?"

"As soon as I give you the message." He reached into the folds of his cloak and withdrew a sealed letter embossed with the insignia of Galbatorix. Tivittica took it, wondering why she had to depart so soon. "You're dismissed," Galbatorix added, a cold smile briefly flickering across his face. Tivittica bowed slightly, then turned and left. She returned to the privacy of her quarters, and murmured a few words of the Ancient Language so that she could open the letter without disturbing the wax. Pulling the letter from its envelope, she read:

_Notify_ _me immediately when our friends set out for their return visit. If they haven't yet left, send a few assistants with them. The more the better. _

Tivittica studied the letter carefully. After a few minutes, she murmured another phrase in the Ancient Language. The word "less" replaced the word "more" in the note, and the word "immediately" faded off the page. The words following it flawlessly took its place, all in the same handwriting. The letter now read:

_Notify me when our friends set out for their return visit. If they haven't yet left, send a few assistants with them. The less the better._

Tivittica wasn't sure what else to do, so she carefully refolded the note and resealed it. She then stood and walked to her closet. Opening the door, she pulled out a dark cloak. For the most part, it was black, but there where strands of glittering silver and a glistening midnight blue in the fabric. Tivittica put the cloak on and tucked her letter into her belt. She pulled a mid-sized haversack from her closet as well and began to pack a few personal possessions in it for her journey. It should only take a couple of days on horseback, but if her room was searched in her absence, there were a few things Tivittica would prefer were not discovered. Finally satisfied that she was ready to leave, Tivittica shouldered her pack, closed her doors, and left her room to briefly visit the kitchens.

Tzadik was there when she arrived quietly making a few modifications to the food. He looked up, startled, but relaxed when he saw Tivittica. "The head chef took a quick break. And I thought the food he was preparing was a bit too bland for my liking."

Tivittica smiled. "I'm going to be away for a couple days." She looked about carefully and lowered her voice. "Can you keep an eye on the prisoner for me?"

"Of course," Tzadik replied. "I'll make sure he's fed…is there anything else?"

"Tell him that if anything goes wrong, he'll need to contact me immediately." Tzadik nodded in acknowledgement, and Tivittica continued in her normal tone. "I'll need some provisions for my journey. Can you help me get them?"

"Sure. Wait here." A few minutes later, he returned with a large sack of food. "I think that's enough," he said with a grin.

"Thank you," Tivittica replied sincerely. She accepted the provisions from her friend. "I'll return as soon as I can."

Tzadik nodded. "Good luck, Tivittica."

Tivittica flashed him a grateful smile in return and walked out of the kitchens to the stables. The stable hand, Eryx, was there, and greeted Tivittica in a friendly manner. "What can I do for you today, Tivittica?"

"I'm taking Obsidian out for a ride today," Tivittica answered.

"I was about to exercise him," Eryx replied, "so he's all saddled up. Just give me a moment to bring him out." He disappeared into and returned a couple minutes later with a black stallion. The horse had a silvery-black mane and tail, intelligent sapphire eyes, and a silver birthmark in the shape of a leaf on its left side.

"Thanks, Eryx," Tivittica said. She transferred the food Tzadik had given her to Obsidian's saddle bag and smoothly mounted her horse. "Let's go," she whispered to her mount, and he responded immediately to her words, turning smoothly in the direction Tivittica wished to go. She noticed Eryx wave, and waved back in reply before the stable disappeared form view.

Tivittica left by the rear gate that was rarely used, unaware that she had been watched the moment she had come outside.

* * *

Galbatorix looked up as one of the Twins slipped into the throne room by a small door. 

"Master," the Twin greeted, "the girl is safely on her way."

"Good," Galbatorix replied. "Bring Murtagh to the room we met in the other day, and notify me when you are ready to begin."

"Yes, Master," the Twin replied, bowing. As he left the room, a malicious smile crept over Galbatorix's face.

* * *

**A/N:** Mwa ha ha!!! New chapters are coming soon!!!(I just gotta type them…grr!). 


	11. Right Decision?

**Chapter Eleven: **_Right Decision? _

A/N: Here at last is chapter 11!

Update 6-3-09: just deleted a paragraph

**Bookaholic: **Thank you for reviewing! :)

* * *

Tivittica made good progress on Obsidian. She had just taken a break so that she could take a drink of water when suddenly, a presence entered her mind. _What?_ she thought, surprised.

_Tivittica! Galbatorix took advantage of your absence to interrogate me!_

_What! Does he know that I helped you?_

_He didn't say anything, but—_ the mental link faltered.

_Murtagh! Are you ok?_

The reply was weak and faint. _Yes, but distance makes it harder to concentrate. Your friend, Tzadik, told me you left. Isn't it a bit coincidental that Galbatorix decides to—_ the link abruptly dissolved.

Tivittica tried to reestablish the link, but it was difficult for her to trace the magical residue of her shield from where she was. She was unable to contact Murtagh. Tivittica stared at the ground, her thoughts racing wildly. She could return to the castle and help Murtagh, but too many people might grow suspicious, and if she wasn't careful, Galbatorix would want to know why she had returned so soon. But she didn't want to leave Murtagh at Galbatorix's mercy either…

Tivittica let out a sigh of frustration. _If I deliver this stupid letter quickly, I can return and help Murtagh as best I can. I'm fairly certain that Galbatorix won't kill him, and I can always heal his injuries if need be. _She returned the container of water to the saddlebag and spurred Obsidian onward.

***

It was late at night when Tivittica finally stopped to rest. She'd helped Obsidian press on by lending him some of her strength. They'd come far, and Tivittica expected to reach Dras-Leona by afternoon of the next day. After a quick supper, she leaned back against a lone tree and tried to get some rest. But the whole situation with Murtagh was bothering her.

How much did Galbatorix know? She wasn't sure, but her life could depend on answer. Was it a mere coincidence that she had been sent out a few hours before Galbatorix chose to interrogate Murtagh? Or was there something more sinister at work? _Whatever the case may be, I hope Murtagh's all right. _

There was his name again, and it seemed to be in her head a lot lately. She wasn't sure what to think of him, and several times she wondered why she had even helped him. Though she certainly didn't regret her actions…

Feeling alone, confused, and worried, Tivittica drifted into a troubled sleep.

***

_A young man with dark brown hair and dark eyes was sitting in a grim, unfriendly cell, his wrist chained to the back wall. The cell seemed to have an ominous, oppressive presence to it, and offered no warmth or protection._ _Blood trickled from a deep cut on the young man's cheek, and he looked exhausted and battered. The noise of footsteps suddenly startled him, and he looked up warily, and then stiffened._

"_Ready to answer some more questions?" a cold, malevolent voice asked. _

"_But I already told you what I know," the man replied coolly. _

"_I'll be the judge of that," a second voice interrupted. The man turned slightly, and a hint of despair crept into his eyes._

"_Come on, let's go," the first speaker said, and entered the cell, closely accompanied by another. It was the Twins._

_They roughly hauled their prisoner to his feet, and started to drag him foreword. But his wrist was still attached to the wall, and they didn't get very far. Wearing expressions of mock bewilderment, the Twins roughly pulled him foreword, but each time, his wrist caught in the manacle. _

"_How cute," one of the Twins said, acting as if he had seen the manacle for the first time. "But if you think resisting will get you anywhere, think again." A beam of magic shot from the Twin's fingers into the young man's body, and he cried out in pain. A cruel smile crept across the Twin's face. "That's better." He then unlocked the manacle, and helped the other Twin drag the young man from the cell._

_They left the cell, passing a tall, imposing figure who stood impassively by the door. He had dark, graying hair and cold gray eyes, and viewed the entire scene with an impassive expression. Suddenly he looked up, and seemed to stare right into the eyes of the person who had been watching the scene unfold. His expression hardened, and his piercing gaze was the last thing Tivittica saw before the image faded from her mind…_

_***_

Tivittica sat up, eyes flying open. _That couldn't have been a dream…it was much too realistic. And Murtagh…_

Somehow, Tivittica knew her vision had been real. She didn't know how she knew, but the certainty was there all the same. Just like she knew that Galbatorix wouldn't kill like she knew Murtagh's "incredibly dark" days were only beginning…

The way Galbatorix had looked at her before her vision had faded had been disconcerting. It was as if he had known she was there, known how badly she wanted to help Murtagh. _Impossible. He couldn't have known I was there. It wasn't like I was scrying him…but how many people have dreams like that? I just hope he doesn't hurt Murtagh too badly…_

***

Tivittica set out for Dras-Leona early the next morning. Her desire to return to the palace as quickly as possible fueled Obsidian's speed, and she reached the city by early afternoon.

There was a large crowd by the front gate, and Tivittica quietly joined the throng. She murmured a couple words in the Ancient Language that would turn most people's attention away from her, and passed through the gates unhindered. As she entered the fringes of the city, Tivittica placed a solid gold piece in every beggar's cup that she saw. _What's the point of having the King's money if you can't spend it? _she thought mischievously.

Soon, Tivittica reached the wealthier portion of the city. She looked about sadly as she rode through, wondering why those who dwelled here seemed to act oblivious to the plight of those who fared less than they did. As she reached the center of Dras-Leona, Tivittica noticed that the streets gradually began to slope upward towards a large palace. The building was made of polished granite, and as Tivittica drew closer, she could make out other signs of incredible wealth: the courtyard was inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and some of the wall had gold built into it. The statues in the corners held sticks of incense, their cold eyes staring out at passersby. Tivittica stared at the lavish display of grandeur angrily, still thinking about the poverty that had greeted her at the front gate.

_It seems like mister Tábor is like Galbatorix in the sense that he doesn't care about the land he rules. _

"Just where do you think you're going?" a sharp voice asked.

Tivittica looked up, slightly startled, and saw an armed soldier standing on front of Obsidian, blocking their path. "I have a message for Marcus Tábor from the king."

"May I see it?" the soldier inquired. Tivittica slipped out the letter, making sure the soldier could see the unbroken wax seal bearing the king's insignia. The soldier hesitated. "Wait here for a moment." He walked over to another soldier stationed a few feet away and held a hasty whispered conversation with the man. Tivittica heard the words "message", "king", and "special instructions", but made no move to eavesdrop on their conversation, so filled was she with disgust for Tábor's lack of interest in the wellbeing of his city, not to mention the undercurrent of worry she felt about Murtagh. The guard who had originally spoken to her finished his conversation and rejoined Tivittica.

"It seems that you're to deliver this message personally to Tábor," he said. "If you'll dismount, I'll take you to speak with him and I'll have someone bring your mount to the private stables."

"Very well," Tivittica replied. She slid smoothly off of Obsidian and looked expectantly at the soldier.

"Follow me," he ordered, and led Tivittica through the wrought-iron gate to the courtyard of the palace. Tivittica obeyed, leading Obsidian behind her.

As they passed through the courtyard, Tivittica found it hard not to be impressed. A lot of thought had been put into the construction, and the result was a tasteful, aesthetic display of beauty and splendor. And yet, Tivittica couldn't help but feel incredibly wary. She hoped this wouldn't take long—the sooner she left, the better.

Another soldier joined them. "Give me the reins of your horse, miss, and I'll secure him in the stables."

Tivittica glanced at the soldier who was serving as her guide. "Will Obsidian be safe?"

"Your horse will be fine," he replied. Tivittica reluctantly handed the reins of her horse to the second soldier and continued to follow the first soldier to the main door of the palace.

Once inside, Tivittica was led through the elegant, refined halls to a large door with two guards on either side. The soldier nodded to them as they wordlessly opened the door and escorted Tivittica inside.

The room was impressive. A large, stained glass window was built into the left wall, overlooking a small, private garden. The floors were tiled, and, seated in a comfortable-looking chair, was Marcus Tábor himself. He had stylishly cut short black hair and piercing dark bluish-black eyes. An ominous air surrounded him, and at Tivittica's entrance, his head whipped up like a snake.

"Can I help you?" Tábor asked. His voice was commanding and powerful.

The soldier said nothing, so Tivittica replied, "I have a message from the king."

"You do?" Tábor sat up slightly, an interested expression flitting across his face. "Give it here." As Tivittica drew forth the letter, she could sense Tábor's eyes on her. She handed him the note silently, then stepped back, eager to leave. Tábor opened the note, scanned it quickly, and then slipped it into his pocket. "I'd like you to stay for dinner."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I have other matters to attend to. I can't afford to be late, so I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer."

"That wouldn't be wise," Tábor said softly. Tivittica heard the clink of weapons, and she half-turned to see several armed guards standing by the door.

Tivittica sighed. She could easily escape, but she didn't want to fight off several guards in the process, many of whom she was certain didn't fully support Tábor. _The whole point of delivering this message is so that I don't arouse suspicion, _she thought grimly. "Well, if you insist…"

"I do," Tábor replied curtly. He rose to his feet and motioned for a servant to come foreword. "Take her to the guest room." The man bowed respectfully and nodded to Tivittica. Reluctantly, she turned and followed him past the guards, two of which turned and followed them. The servant led Tivittica through more hallways to a small, respectable sized chamber.

"Master Tábor will send word when he is ready for you," the man said. "In the mean time, you're to stay here. Should you need anything not provided already, please knock and someone will see to your needs." He bowed slightly and left, closing the door behind him. Tivittica waited until his footsteps had faded before trying the handle of the door. It was locked.

_Don't attract suspicion… _Tivittica let out her breath in frustration and dumped her bag on the bed. She was beginning to regret her decision to come to Dras-Leona…

* * *


	12. A costly mistake

**Chapter Twelve:** _A costly mistake_

A/N: Here at last is chapter twelve! The plot thickens…

**cam: **I glad you reviewed!!! Boltan enters the story here, and I added a few extra paragraphs, so enjoy! Kwak!

**13tman:** Thanks for reviewing, and I actually do plan on writing a book(s). ;)

**anthony: **I'm glad you like my story so far! Thanks for letting me borrow Snakehead; it was a good book. Sorry 'bout the wait, but don't hurt Cam if you feel I'm taking too long (don't shoot the messenger…)!

**Bookaholic:** Yes, Tiv's dream was like Eragon's when he saw Arya. :)

* * *

Tivittica stared at her reflection in the mirror critically. She had decided to take a bath, and when she'd finished, she'd found an elegant dark red dress in place of her regular clothes and armor. Without really any other clothes to wear, she'd tried the dress on, but she felt that the top of it was slightly too low for her liking. The dress itself was pretty, but Tivittica worried what Tábor might think. She sighed and walked over to her bed, then put on her black cloak and jewelry and examined her reflection in the mirror again. _It'll do,_ she thought wearily, and began to brush her hair. 

When she'd finished, Tivittica wandered around the rest of her temporary quarters. The main room consisted of the bed and a small closet. A side room served as the nice sized bathroom, and another door led her to another, smaller room with a couple of chairs and a table. At the far wall was a large glass door that opened onto a spacious balcony. There were two smaller glass doors that led back to the bathroom and sitting room, but Tivittica ignored these as she walked outside, enjoying the taste of fresh air. She hoped she wouldn't have to stay too long, for she was worried about Murtagh.

_Whatever Galbatorix is planning to do to him, it won't be pleasant. Maybe I shouldn't have come…the letter could've just been conveniently lost. _Tivittica sighed. _The whole point of agreeing to this stupid job was so that I won't draw attention to myself. If I slip off while I have the chance, Tábor_ _will most certainly get angry, and I doubt he'll keep quiet. He's used to having his way, and he might even complain to Galbatorix. What have I gotten myself into? _She stared out at the ground below her, deep in thought.

Suddenly, Tivittica noticed a commotion in the grounds below her. Several soldiers had surrounded a lone man, who was also a soldier, and were jeering at him. The man, from what Tivittica could see, had jet black hair and startling ice blue eyes. He reminded her of Tábor a little, except he carried himself with a commanding, respectful air. His expression was impassive, but was that a hint of anger she saw flash across his face?

The taunting comments reached her ears, carried by a breeze. "I wonder how you got your position, _Captain_."

"Yes, how many people did Tábor kill for you? Was it a birthday gift? Or did he mistake you for someone else again?"

"No, Fabian, our captain was obviously chosen because of his name…after all, 'B' is one of the first letters in the alphabet." Laughter followed this comment, and the eyes of the ridiculed man narrowed.

"If you idiots actually _thought_ about what you were saying, you'd realize that that theory isn't true. Alasdair's name begins with '_A'_, and if you'll remember, 'A' comes before 'B' in the alphabet."

"Figures you'd remember Alasdair," Fabian spat. "You two seem to be pretty close friends..." He paused for a moment, allowing an expression of mock surprise to form on his face. "Is _that_ why Tábor promoted you so quickly? That certainly would explain a lot."

"You're an immature imbecile," the man replied quietly, "if you think that's true." Tivittica felt growing respect for him, for she could tell that he was struggling to control his anger.

"So now you insult me?" Fabian asked, slowly drawing his weapon. "What do say, guys? Should we teach this wanna-be captain a lesson?"

There was a general murmur of consent, but suddenly, one of the other soldiers hissed, "Here comes Tábor himself!" His fellow soldiers straightened as Marcus Tábor approached them.

"What's going on?" Tábor asked calmly, taking in the scene. His gaze settled on the captain. "Ah, Boltan. I can't say I'm surprised. Don't you know you're supposed to be setting an example for the rest of the soldiers?" His comment brought a few sniggers from the onlookers, and he glared at them before turning back to Boltan. "I think you need to learn that humility is a key part of your job. With all these adoring fans, I'd be surprised if your ego didn't set you off balance in your job. Perhaps an hour or two in the stocks will sort you out."

Boltan stared in shock at Tábor, anger quickly rising to face. "You can't just punish someone for no reason!"

"I gave you a reason, _Captain_. But if you would like me to add to your punishment, I think I have a charge or two. Embezzlement of government funds for example."

"_Embezzlement?_" Boltan asked in disbelief. "How did… where did _that_ come from?"

"You seem to a have a habit of wasting the city funds on thieves and other pieces of filth. That doesn't strike me as a good use of money…especially for one of your position."

"How do you consider giving money to the poor and homeless _embezzlement_?" Boltan demanded furiously. "It's not like you're doing anything about it!"

Tivittica winced, for she could sense Boltan had just crossed a line. Tábor stared at Boltan coldly, then glanced up and noticed for the first time that Tivittica had been quietly observing the entire episode. "You're in the stocks for the evening," he snapped, glaring at Boltan. "And don't let me catch you 'helping' the poor again." He signaled to Fabian and two others to bring Boltan, and Tivittica felt pity for the young Captain. What kind of a person was Tábor if he considered helping the poor "embezzlement"?

As Tivittica watched Boltan being led away, she began to dread her evening repast with Tábor.

* * *

The shadows began to lengthen as evening approached. Tivittica heard a door open and the approach of footsteps. She half-turned to see the servant from earlier come to the door. 

"Master Tábor wished you to join him for dinner, miss. Are you ready?"

"Yes," Tivittica replied, turning away from the window reluctantly.

"Then please follow me." The servant led Tivittica out of her room through more hallways to emerge into a large dining room. The servant then knocked on a side door and gestured for Tivittica to enter. Hesitantly, Tivittica opened the door and slipped inside.

The room was smaller and slightly more comfortable in atmosphere. A large stained glass window depicted an impressive looking black dragon, and the walls had an elegant border that went well with the other colors in the room. The small table was already set, and a few candles were lit. Seated in a chair on the far side of the table was Marcus Tábor.

"So glad you could make it," he greeted. "Please, sit down."

Tivittica pulled out her chair and sat down warily.

"Could you please tell me your name?" Tábor asked as some servants brought in the appetizer.

"It's Veraxia."

"Veraxia, hmm? That's an interesting name."

Tivittica shrugged and took a sip of the wine in her glass. It tasted sweet and exotic, and she was forced to admit that Tábor had good taste. She had already decided not to tell Tábor her real name, instead using the fake name she'd chosen a long time ago. She suddenly realized Tábor was talking again.

"Is this your first visit to Dras-Leona?"

"No."

"Really? Why did you visit before?"

"I was stopping through," Tivittica replied, then paused. "Didn't Galbatorix himself visit here because you were abusing your power?"

Tábor's face darkened. "There was a slight…misunderstanding. But that's not really worth discussing. How do you like the wine?"

"It's pretty good," Tivittica replied honestly. "What's in it?"

"Blackberry and pomegranate, with a hint of kiwi," he replied, relaxing slightly. "I had it imported from a place near Surda, and save it for…special occasions. What about the soup?"

Tivittica sampled it, and found that it was a simple broth with a variety of herbs and seasonings that added much to the flavor. Both she and Tábor ate in silence for a few minutes, and then, as the servant whisked their bowls away and replaced it with the first course, he spoke.

"So, Veraxia, tell me a little about yourself."

"My mother died when I was little. My father…is an honest shopkeeper in Urû'baen. I have four siblings: three brothers and a sister. My older brother joined the military to help support our family, and he recently found a spot for me."

Tábor nodded. "How old are your siblings?"

"Viribus is twenty-three, Zeke and Atticus are sixteen, and Nalia is twelve."

"And how old are you?"

"Old enough," Tivittica replied evasively. "Why do you want to know?"

"I just thought it was a shame that one so young should have to carry such a burden."

"There are many people who are much worse off than me."

"True," Tábor agreed.

Tivittica sampled her salad, and then began to eat a croissant on the side. "How did you become ruler of Dras-Leona?"

"Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it," Tábor replied with a smile. At that moment, the servant entered with the main course. There were several trays of delicious-looking meat, fresh fruits and savory-looking vegetables, and bread that was still warm from the ovens. The delicious aroma permeated the room, and Tivittica eyed it appreciatively.

"Help yourself," Tábor told her, catching the expression on her face. Tivittica needed no further urging, and filled up her plate with a sampling of the different foods. After several minutes had passed, Tábor leaned back in his chair contentedly and took a sip of wine from his glass. "How do the soldiers treat you?"

"Pretty well. Most respect me, and those that didn't learned quickly to keep their distance."

Tábor nodded. "What kind of tasks do you usually do for Galbatorix?"

Tivittica shrugged. "Oh, this and that. I don't see much of the king. Mostly, I help train soldiers, deliver messages, and assist some of the servants."

"It's a shame Galbatorix uses such a lovely young woman to do his menial tasks. What do you do in your free time?"

"I read books."

Tábor raised an eyebrow. "You can read?"

"Yes," Tivittica replied defensively. Her distaste in Tábor was growing by the minute, and his stereotyping certainly wasn't helping.

"Interesting…" Tábor took another sip of wine. "Veraxia, would you care to remove your cloak?"

Tivittica felt her breath catch in her throat. "No…sir."

"Why ever not?"

"It's, um, cold in here."

"I see."

An uncomfortable silence hung over the table. Tivittica abruptly stood. "I'm sorry I can't stay longer, but I really do need to leave."

"Why?" Tábor asked, his voice dangerously calm.

"I have other appointments to keep. I thank you for the meal, but I must go."

Tábor rose and walked over to Tivittica. "But you'd have to stop for the night anyway." He gently unclasped her cloak and pushed it from her shoulders. Tivittica shuddered at his touch and took a step back. She didn't care for the look in his eyes…

"It's safer here than on the streets," Tábor continued. "Perhaps we could… spend the evening together?" He took another step foreword.

Tivittica didn't reply. Images of Viribus's last moments were flashing in her mind, and she had no interest in Tábor. He placed his arm around her shoulder and drew her closer. Frantically, Tivittica grabbed her chair and shoved it into Tábor. Shock and pain filled his eyes, and was immediately replaced by anger.

"Stay away," Tivittica hissed warningly, her eyes flashing. "I bet you have plenty of mistresses to keep you content, so keep me out of this!"

"You're different," Tábor replied, shoving the chair aside. "And who are you to defy my wishes? Galbatorix himself told me that he'd send a messenger he wasn't sure about for me to do with what I pleased! _I_ control Dras-Leona, not you, so quit fooling around!"

"Oh, so you think I'm fooling around?" Tivittica asked coldly. She muttered "rïsa" (rise) and then "gánga fram" (to go foreword). The leftover food rose from the table and slowly advanced towards Tábor.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded. A large loaf of bread whacked him in the face in reply, and the contents of a flagon of wine were emptied down his shirt. Tivittica smiled maliciously as enchanted silverware joined the food encircling Tábor, for some of the knives were quite sharp.

Tábor backed away fearfully. Tivittica deliberately stabbed him with a fork. She then made the rest of the charmed objects chase Tábor around the table. Sensing the amusement of the guards who stood by the door, she slammed a thick, creamy pudding into Tábor's face. "Do you _really_ think I'm just fooling around?" she asked quietly.

Tábor wiped some pudding from his eyes and glared at the guards standing behind Tivittica. "Don't just stand there! Do something!"

Something collided painfully with the back of Tivittica's head before she could retaliate, and she fell to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

A/N: "Verax" is Latin for truth, so I thought Tivittica's fake name Veraxia was pretty ironic. 

Mwa ha ha!!! Stay tuned for next chapter…


	13. Escape

**Chapter 13: **_Escape_

Yay! Next chapter up! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far!

* * *

Tivittica awoke groggily in a cell. She looked about in confusion and suddenly, she remembered what had happened. _I guess I overreacted a little,_ she thought ruefully. Her mind felt oddly fuzzy, and with a groan, she stood up. There was a small window in her cell, but it was high up and let in little light. The door was wooden but reinforced with metal and had a small, barred section towards the top. Peering through the bars, Tivittica saw that there were no guards in sight, and a slight smile, she reached for her magic. 

Instantly, Tivittica knew something had gone wrong, for she couldn't remember any words from the Ancient Language. _Tábor must've drugged me!_ she realized angrily. She began examining her cell more closely, and noticed a stone shelf that was built into the wall to serve as a bed. But unfortunately, the shelf wasn't attached to the same wall the window was. Tivittica sat down with her back against the far wall, facing the door. Judging by the light that filtered through the window, it was morning.

Tivittica took stock of her position. She was locked in a stupid cell with no magic, but had Tábor thought to search her for weapons? She didn't have her cloak or her armor, so there went three concealed daggers. But what about her boots? Like her cloak, she'd chosen to wear them to the dinner instead of the pitiful excuse of footwear she'd been given to go with the dress. Tivittica examined her black leather boots, and to her delight, her dirk was still hidden in the specially designed compartment in her left boot. She slipped it out and kept watch on the door, feeling slightly better.

* * *

Tivittica was dozing lightly when a knock at the door startled her. She quickly rose, feeling slightly more alert than before. The door opened to reveal a young man with black hair and ice blue eyes. He wore the armor of a guard and a necklace with an unfamiliar crest on it. Tivittica recognized him as Boltan, the captain she'd seen from her room the previous day. His sword was sheathed, and though she didn't think he was going to hurt her, she decided to take no chances and flicked her dirk to his throat with incredible speed. "Who are you and what do you want?"

The man didn't flinch, but Tivittica caught a note of respect in his eyes. "My name is Boltan," he told her, confirming what she thought, and then added, "and I've come to help you escape."

The words were so unexpected that Tivittica nearly dropped her blade. "Why?" she asked suspiciously.

Boltan looked about warily. "I know of a safer place we can talk. I've stored all of your belongings there. If you follow me and act like a prisoner, I'll explain everything."

Tivittica wished the drug would allow her to sense the intentions of others. She wanted to trust Boltan, but was he about to lead her into a trap? _I wonder if this is how Murtagh felt when he first met me? _she thought suddenly, and that made up her mind.

"Alright. I'll go with you."

* * *

Boltan led Tivittica to a hidden room on the main floor that she would've never found had she been by herself. True to his word, all of Tivittica's possessions were piled neatly against the back wall.

Boltan carefully closed the door. "Sorry about what happened. Tábor can be a little…unpredictable at times."

"Like when he put you in the stocks yesterday?" Tivittica asked.

Boltan stared at her. "How did you know about that?"

"I saw you from my balcony," she replied truthfully. "How can you tolerate serving Tábor when he acts the way he does?"

Boltan hesitated, not meeting her gaze. "Marcus Tábor is my father, though he doesn't deserve the title. I'm only his son when he's in a good mood, even though I'm the eldest of his children. I'm also the Captain of the Guards here in Dras-Leona, and I can assure you that I reached this position through my _own_ work, although I'm sure you've noticed by now that not everyone believes me."

Tivittica didn't reply at first, letting Boltan's words sink in. Now that she thought about it, Boltan did look a little like Tábor. And if some guards were jealous of Boltan's position, they might assume that Tábor was responsible for Boltan's promotion. It made sense, but it made her pity Boltan even more. "Why are you trying to help me escape?"

Boltan smiled. "I found out that you were responsible for saving the life of my half-sister, Rana, and her family from Galbatorix's troops. I can't thank you enough for that."

"How did you find out?"

"Well, my friend Alasdair discovered that 'the Raven' had intervened to save their lives. When I saw your necklace, I realized that that must be you. Who else works for Galbatorix and has that symbol?"

"No one, I suppose," Tivittica admitted slowly. _Just what I need—another security risk to take care of. _"I really appreciate what you're doing. Coming here was a mistake, and I need to return to the palace quickly. I don't know how I can thank you enough."

Boltan blushed. "Well…if there's anything you ever need, just let me know. I'm not the only one who's wanted to thank you. I gave you a pack of fresh food and water." He pointed to a large tapestry hanging on the back wall. "Behind that tapestry is a door to a tunnel that will take you past the city walls. Your horse is waiting on the other side along with a trusted friend of mine. I think that's everything…and you can keep the dress, too."

Tivittica smiled at him. "Thank you so much!" She gave him a kiss on the cheek by way of thanks and laughed at his expression.

"I, um, need to go before I'm missed," Boltan muttered hastily. "But remember, you'll always have friends in Dras-Leona!" He turned abruptly and left the room.

"May luck and happiness follow you," Tivittica replied, wishing she could remember the words in the Ancient Language. She slipped her cloak back on, shouldered her pack, and gathered the rest of her things. She then pushed back the tapestry, opened the door and entered the tunnel into the unknown.

* * *

Tivittica emerged blinking in the sunlight. It felt refreshing to be out in the fresh air, and turning, she saw that the city was a few yards behind her. As her eyes adjusted to the sunlight, she saw that another young man was standing nearby, Obsidian's reins in his hands.

"Did Boltan send you?" he asked. He had spiky blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and wore the armor of a guard as well.

"Yes," Tivittica replied. "Who are you?"

"Alasdair," the man replied. He looked slightly older than Boltan, but was just as serious. As Tivittica stepped over to Obsidian, he said, "Here, let me get that." He took what Tivittica was holding and carefully packed in Obsidian's saddle bag.

"Thank you," Tivittica told him sincerely. "And… keep Boltan and yourself out of trouble."

Alasdair smiled. "Easier said than done. But I always try my hardest, and you'd be surprised at some of the things I've managed. Oh, if you haven't drunk that antidote Boltan gave you, you should. Your powers should return in an hour or so, less if you use the Ancient Language a lot."

"What antidote?"

"You mean Boltan never gave you the antidote?" Alasdair asked incredulously. He let out a sigh of frustration. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. We threw this plan together last night, and the antidote was a last-minute addition. Still, Boltan should've remembered." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small flask, which he handed to Tivittica. "Good thing I remembered an extra. Boltan was worried that he might drop his."

Tivittica accepted the flask from him and unscrewed the top. She hesitated for only a moment before drinking the entire contents of the bottle. It tasted slightly sweet with a hint of an exotic fruit. Tivittica returned the flask to Alasdair, feeling a bit more alert. "Thanks."

"No problem. And…I apologize for Tábor's behavior. He has no sense of honor or justice whatsoever, except when it suits his needs. Although I must admit, Boltan and I never laughed so hard after hearing about what you did to him…you certainly put him in his place."

A phrase from the Ancient Language suddenly popped into Tivittica's head, and she spoke it aloud without hesitation. "Atra esterní ono thelduin un mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr (May good fortune rule over you and peace live in your heart)."

Alasdair looked at her strangely for a moment. "I'm not exactly sure what you just said, but thank you. I feel more at peace now…and it's usually words of peace and healing that you remember first."

Tivittica filed the information away for future use. "I thank you again for you and Boltan's kindness. You don't know how much I appreciate your actions… But now, I really need to go." She swung onto Obsidian with practiced ease, nodded appreciatively to Alasdair, and set off in the direction of the palace.

As the city grew further behind, Tivittica thought, _Freedom never felt so good, not matter how short it may last…

* * *

_

A/N: Next chapter will be up soon…and things start getting interesting!


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

A/N: Chapter 15 will be up soon. Enjoy!

* * *

Tivittica reached the palace in the early morning of the next day. As the drug had worn off, she'd linked minds with Obsidian so that he could keep up a fast pace by using some of her strength.

A guard hailed her at the entrance. "What business do you have here?"

"I'm returning from a mission the king has sent me on," Tivittica replied, her voice loud and clear.

"Is that you, Tivittica?"

"Yes."

"Alright, just hold on then." Tivittica could sense that the guard was trying to verify who she was by using his mind, and since she had taught the guard how to, Tivittica briefly entered his mind and thought, _It's me, Tobran. Do you really need anymore confirmation? _The guard smiled as she retracted her presence from his mind, and he nodded at the guard in charge of the gate. Slowly, it opened, and Tivittica rode through.

* * *

Leaving Obsidian safely in the stables, Tivittica hurried to the palace itself. She had only one purpose in mind: to make sure Murtagh was ok. As she entered the palace, she caught sight of Tzadik by chance and hurried over. "Tzadik! Where's Murtagh?"

He looked up, startled. "Tivittica?" He suddenly noticed what she was wearing, and his eyes widened slightly. "_Where_ did you go?"

"That's not important," Tivittica replied impatiently. "Where's Murtagh?"

"He's…in his cell in the dungeons."

"Is he being guarded?"

"Uh, the dungeon is."

Tivittica nodded. "Do you know where Galbatorix is?"

"He left yesterday on urgent business. I'm not sure where he went." He was surprised by how ecstatic Tivittica looked at the news.

"Could you make sure my bag finds its way safely to my room?" she asked, slipping it off of her shoulder.

"Sure," Tzadik replied, feeling slightly overwhelmed by Tivittica's sudden arrival.

"Thanks, Tzadik!" Tivittica said. She handed him her pack and took off down the hall.

"Wait, Tivittica!" Tzadik called after her, but she was already gone.

* * *

Tivittica hurried to the door of the dungeon, but caution kicked in when she caught sight of two very alert looking guards. She leaned back against the wall, panting. _Think!_ she told herself sternly. _If you get caught, you'll be of no help to anyone. _Tivittica took a breath to calm herself, and then turned herself invisible. She crept foreword slowly, then murmured "slytha (sleep)". Both guards simultaneously slumped to the ground unconscious, and Tivittica smiled to herself. She strode quickly to the door, unlocked it with her magic, and hurried to Murtagh's cell, her cloak streaming behind her.

When Tivittica reached Murtagh's cell, she couldn't help but stare in shock at Murtagh's unconscious form. There was a large gash on his cheek, and his face looked incredibly pale. His shirt was tattered from whip lashes had cut through the material, and worse yet, he was lying in a pool of blood…

Tivittica felt her vision blur, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Oh, Murtagh, I'm so sorry," she whispered. She unlocked the door, and said a phrase in the Ancient Language that made Murtagh float into the air as if he was on an invisible stretcher. Tivittica then removed her invisibility, put an illusion force field around both of them, and set off for her room as quickly as she could.

* * *

When Tivittica reached her private quarters, she could sense that someone had searched her room, for several things were out of place. At that moment, however, she didn't care. She closed the door securely behind her and locked it, noticing that Tzadik had placed her bag on her table. Tivittica grabbed it and entered the bedroom, Murtagh still floating behind her. Tossing her pack on a different table, Tivittica removed the force field and carefully lowered the Murtagh onto her bed.

She couldn't help but feel responsible for the injuries, for she'd let Galbatorix trick her into leaving on a pointless mission. _How much does Galbatorix know?_ she thought worriedly, but she pushed the thought aside and focused on Murtagh.

Tivittica carefully removed Murtagh's shirt, and gasped in spite of herself. Dark, angry wounds caused by whip lashes criss-crossed his upper torso to form the symbol of Morzan's sword, Zar'roc. His left side was badly bruised and bleeding heavily, and his upper right arm had a deep cut in it. Tivittica tentatively turned Murtagh onto his side and let out a hiss of breath in anger when she saw what else Galbatorix and the Twins had done to Murtagh.

His scar was completely cut open, and there were several more whiplashes on his back as well. Tivittica stared at his back a moment longer, then let him fall back. She crossed over to her closet and pulled out some bandages. She then walked back to where Murtagh was, slipped off her cloak, and prepared to some intense healing. Murtagh's life depended on it.

* * *

A/N: Mwa ha ha! 


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

A/N: Sorry about the cliffhanger! Chapter 16 will be up soon.

* * *

Murtagh awoke slowly and found himself lying somewhere soft and comfortable. His back, side, and right leg throbbed dully, but for the moment, he was content to stay where he was.

As Murtagh became more aware of his surroundings, he realized that he was in a bed of some sort. Confused, he forced his eyes open and to his astonishment, he realized that he was in Tivittica's bedroom. _What happened? _he thought tiredly. _I thought Tivittica had to go somewhere, so what am I doing here?_

Suddenly, he noticed the door open fully, and Tivittica entered the room. She was wearing a low-cut dark red dress with a rose embroidered on the bottom corner. Murtagh had never seen her wear anything like that before, and it suddenly struck him that she was _very_ beautiful.

As if sensing his gazeupon her, Tivittica turned, and a large smile broke across her face. "Oh, Murtagh, you're awake! That's good. I was really worried about you… How do you feel?"

She crossed the room to where he was, and Murtagh found himself unable to pull his gaze away from her. "Uh, I um…"

Tivittica suddenly realized he was staring at her and blushed self-consciously. "Sorry about the dress. I've been so busy, I haven't had time to change."

"Oh no, no it's…fine." _What's wrong with_ _me? One stupid dress, and I'm tripping over my sentences. Get a hold of yourself,_ Murtagh thought sternly.

Tivittica sat down on the bed beside Murtagh. "You look a bit better."

"Well, I mean, I just woke up, but I feel sore and weak all over." He would've never admitted that to anyone else, but he tended to make exceptions for those who saved his life.

"I need to see how badly your side was injured, so I'm going to help you sit up briefly. I think it's badly bruised, maybe one rib broken, but I'm not sure."

"Alright."

Tivittica wrapped her arm around his waist, taking care not to apply any pressure to his side. "You can grip my shoulder. If it hurts too much, I'll let you stop. Ready?" Murtagh nodded, gripped her shoulder, and slowly sat up. He barely managed to suppress a stream of curses as an incredibly excruciating pain seared his left side. He blacked out for a moment, and when he came to, he was lying down again.

Tivittica gently pushed some of his hair from his face, her eyes full of concern. "I'm sorry, Murtagh. I should never have gone; should've never listened to Galbatorix's stupid order!"

"You didn't know, Tivittica. Don't blame yourself." He closed his eyes briefly, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his side.

Tivittica looked at him worriedly. "I think I'm going to have to bandage your side again."

"Can't you just heal me like you did last time?"

"Fixing broken bones requires a lot more energy than healing cuts and gashes. If I were to heal all of your ribs, the effort would probably knock me out, and if someone discovered you while I was too weak to do anything…" she trailed off.

"That makes sense, I guess."

Tivittica stood and took some bandages from the table beside her bed. She pulled back the covers, and glancing down, Murtagh saw that there were bandages around his side and right arm. Tivittica gently began to remove the bandages around his side, making sure she wasn't touching his injury. Murtagh remained still, his eyes on Tivittica. She was completely absorbed in her task, her eyes full of compassion and concern, and Murtagh felt content to watch her.

As Tivittica finished unwrapping the bandages, she stared at Murtagh's injury. It was bleeding again, and looked pretty deep. "I wasn't quite sure how bad it was," Tivittica admitted, "but I'd have to say you've broken around four to five ribs."

"What?" Murtagh exclaimed, and instantly regretted raising his voice as a burst of pain shot through him. He lay still, focusing on trying not to black out again.

Tivittica murmured a few words in the Ancient Language, and Murtagh felt his skin flowing back together. "Rïsa," Tivittica said when she'd finished, and Murtagh floated up slightly. She bandaged his side again and gently set him back down. "I've closed the wound, but I can't stop all of your bruising. And as for your broken ribs, they'll heal in a few days, as opposed to several weeks."

"That's good."

"Yes…does anywhere else hurt? I didn't get a chance to examine your legs."

"My right leg," Murtagh replied. Tivittica carefully the covers back all the way, and Murtagh noticed his boots were already off. She rolled up his right pant leg to his knee and winced sympathetically. "That looks broken."

"It feels broken," Murtagh replied. His leg was at a slightly odd angle, and he was certain the cut was to the bone.

Tivittica muttered more words in the Ancient Language, and the wound improved greatly. She then bandaged his leg, and when she was finished, she covered him back up. "I'm sorry about all of this. It's probably a good thing Galbatorix isn't here right now; I'd probably try to attack him because of what he did to you!"

"Speaking of Galbatorix, what are you going to tell him?"

"I'm not sure just yet, but we have a few days to think about it. Right now, you need to focus on getting better."

Murtagh nodded. He felt tired and exhausted, and he was glad that Tivittica had returned. She offered him some water, which he gratefully accepted, and sat beside him until he had finally fallen asleep.

* * *

A/N: Again, next chapter will be up soon. And for those of you who wish to threaten me w/death in order to make me update faster… please keep in mind that if you kill me, I cannot update anymore.  


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

A/N: At last, chapter 16 is up!! My apologies to everyone; my notebook with this chapter and the next few were misplaced for the last few months, so I haven't been able to update. I haven't forgotten this story, however; I am continuing to write and have made much progress. Well, anyway, here is the long-awaited (hopefully!) chapter sixteen. I hope you find it to your liking!

* * *

It was late in the evening when Murtagh awoke. He felt a bit better, and could move about more freely. From the moonlight that filtered through the window, he could make out Tivittica's form in a chair near the bed. She appeared to be asleep, and Murtagh smiled. She deserved rest, having spent so much time taking care of him. He just hoped she hadn't worked herself too hard.

Murtagh stared at the ceiling, thoughts and emotions swirling through him. Suddenly, he heard a knock at the main door. "Tivittica," he whispered, but she didn't stir. "Tivittica?"

Sighing, Murtagh reached out for the table beside the bed, grimacing as the movement jostled his injured ribs. His fingers closed around a roll of tightly bound bandages, and pulling back slightly, Murtagh carefully threw it at Tivittica. The bandages hit Tivittica in the face, and she immediately sat up, looking about in confusion. "Who…threw that?"

"There's someone at the door," Murtagh replied quietly. Tivittica jumped, startled, then let out a tired sigh of annoyance. She rose slowly, muttered "brisingr", and then walked out of the bedroom, a flame in her hand. She warily opened the front door, and to her surprise, Tzadik stood outside with a covered wooden trolley.

"Come in," she told him and shut the door behind him when he entered.

"I thought you might have gotten hungry," Tzadik said, removing the flat cover from the top. There was a lot of warm, appetizing food inside, plus more bandages on one side.

"You didn't have to do all that!" Tivittica exclaimed in surprise.

Tzadik shrugged. "How's your friend doing?"

"Much better." Tivittica paused. "Did anyone see you?"

"Just two servants who helped me push this up the service ramp. They're good friends of mine, and know how to keep quiet. I told them I was delivering some books to you."

"Books? At this hour of the night?"

"Believe me when I say that the servants have had stranger tasks."

_That makes two more people whose memory I'll have to modify,_ Tivittica thought grimly. "Well, thank you. But you should go now before someone starts wondering where you went."

"Very well. Just let me know if you need anything else." He walked to the door, then paused. "Oh, I meant to tell you—the Twins didn't leave with Galbatorix."

"What?" Tivittica said worriedly, then sighed. "Thanks for telling me." Tzadik nodded and left, leaving Tivittica with a dozen new concerns.

She let out her breath slowly and pushed the cart into her bedroom. She carefully lit all of the candles, most of which were near Murtagh, and extinguished the flame in her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired. And slightly hungry, too."

"Well, Tzadik just brought some food." She examined the contents of the cart. "How about some soup? It's mostly broth."

"Um, ok," Murtagh agreed. "Do I need to sit up again?"

"Hold on." Tivittica partially pulled back the covers, and Murtagh shivered. "Sorry." She gently touched the bandage covering his side and briefly closed her eyes. After a minute or so, she reopened her eyes and recovered Murtagh. "I think it'll be ok. Your ribs are healing well. Do you want me to help you?"

"Yeah." Tivittica placed her arm around his shoulder and offered her arm as a brace. Murtagh slowly sat up, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the pain wasn't as intense. Tivittica carefully arranged some pillows behind him so that he could lean back, and when she was satisfied that he was comfortable, she handed him a bowl of soup.

As Murtagh sipped the broth, Tivittica paced the room. _If the Twins are here, I'll need to be extremely careful about what I'm doing. But why didn't they go with Galbatorix? Their presence complicates things a lot…_

"Are you ok?" Murtagh asked. "Your pacing is making me feel nervous."

"Sorry." Tivittica said tensely. She sat down, but kept fidgeting, plans and worries alike flitting through her mind. Finally, she stood up, lifted the pot of soup from the cart, and put it on the table beside Murtagh. "I'm going to take a bath. If you want more soup, help yourself." She walked over to a full-length mirror with an ornate frame that hung beside her closet and pressed something Murtagh couldn't see. The mirror swung foreword, revealing the entrance to a comfortable-sized bathroom. She entered, then closed the door behind her.

She needed a break badly, and carefully filled the bath with warm water. She gratefully pulled off her dress, which had given her more trouble than it was worth, and slipped into the water, trying her best to let her worries soak away. The past couple days had gone by too quickly, and she felt slightly overwhelmed. The entire the entire incident with Tábor had unsettled her, and suddenly, she remembered something he had said: _"Galbatorix himself told me that he'd send a messenger he wasn't sure about for me to do with as I pleased…"_

Tivittica sat bolt upright, water streaming off of her. _He knows! Or at least, he suspects me. And the Twins are still here…_ She sank back into the water, unease filling her body.

* * *

Tivittica was drying herself off when she heard a loud crash outside. Hastily, she pulled on her bathrobe, opened the concealed door, and hurried into her bedroom. Murtagh was still sitting up, looking extremely embarrassed. The large pot that the remaining soup had been in was lying on the ground. "Murtagh, what happened?"

"I, um, was refilling my bowl, but I lost my grip, and all the soup spilled on me. I wasn't expecting that, so I dropped the container." He looked uncomfortable, and his face was slightly flushed.

"I'll fix that," Tivittica replied. She picked up the pot and set it back in the cart. "Adurna (water)," she murmured distractedly, and suddenly, water gushed out of her fingertips, drenching Murtagh.

"Aah!" he exclaimed startled. "That was _cold!_" Water dripped off of his already dark hair, making it look black. The bandages and sheets were soaked.

Tivittica blushed. "I'm sorry, Murtagh! I just…have a lot on my mind." She muttered a phrase in the Ancient Language that dried Murtagh and the bed, wishing that she could just forget about all of her worries for a day. As she passed by the bed, Murtagh reached out and grabbed her wrist, making her pause and turn to see what he wanted.

"Tell me what's wrong. Please." His dark eyes, not quite black but not a dark brown either, were filled with concern and utterly serious.

For a moment, Tivittica was tempted not to say anything, but something inside her felt compelled to answer. She was tired of having to deceive others, even though her life, and through her, others, often depended upon it. Letting out a sigh, Tivittica let her body relax. "It's just…the whole message-delivery thing was a trap, which means Galbatorix probably knows more than he's been letting on. He's suspicious for sure, and I'm not sure what the extent of his knowledge is. It's the not knowing that's got me worried…that's why I felt so relieved when I heard he'd left. And then, I found out that the Twins decided to stay behind, which means it'll be harder to keep your presence concealed. I'm worried, Murtagh. Someone might discover us, and if that occurs, I don't want to think about what'll happen, especially to you. I don't want all of my efforts to be wasted. Murtagh, I…I'm scared."

His hand slipped into hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry. Whatever happens, we'll face it together. And you're not stupid; you won't let the Twins catch you unawares. You have my complete trust, regardless of what happens." Tivittica didn't reply. She knew that Murtagh wasn't saying this lightly, considering his past, and felt a bit more reassured knowing that he trusted her. "So what _are_ you going to tell Galbatorix?" he added quietly, sensing that she had calmed down slightly.

"Nothing. We'll escape together before he has a chance to punish us." Although her plan was reckless and created on the spot, Tivittica felt certain that it would work, for Murtagh's more or less pledge of loyalty had strengthened her resolve to free him.

"Sounds good," Murtagh replied, then was silent for a moment. Tivittica suddenly noticed that he was shivering violently and immediately felt guilty. She'd been so worried about what _might_ happen that she had failed to notice what was happening around her.

"Do you want a blanket?" she asked him.

He nodded. "Yes, please."

Tivittica walked over to her chair and picked up her cloak. She then returned to Murtagh and handed it to him. "Sorry about that."

"You're fine," Murtagh replied as he wrapped himself tightly in her cloak, still shivering slightly. Tivittica pulled the blankets up over him and smiled tiredly. "I think I'll just rest here for a couple minutes, then finish all the stuff I was going to do before turning in for the night." She lay down next to Murtagh and was asleep in a matter of minutes.

Murtagh, however, remained awake. Galbatorix had left but the Twins remained. Tivittica's errand had been some sort of a trap. And part of his cold, hardened outer shield faltered every time he saw Tivittica. All of these things together made him feel confused and worried, and he had an idea of how Tivittica felt. He reached out and gently pushed a stray lock of Tivittica's damp hair behind her ear, which he noticed for the first time was slightly pointed. She looked calm and peaceful in slumber, and he felt content just to watch her.

Very carefully, Murtagh slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her slightly closer and ensuring that she wouldn't accidentally fall off of the bed. Her bathrobe was jet black with several silver stars woven into the fabric like glittering diamonds. He felt tired, and slowly drifted into sleep, mind filled with concerns and hopes alike.

* * *

A/N: Chapter 17 will be posted soon…much sooner than this one was!


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: **_??_

A/N: Chapter titles can be such a pain sometimes… Anyways, here is the next chapter! Sorry it's so long…

* * *

Tivittica awoke in Murtagh's arms. She had turned over in her sleep so that she was now facing him, and she remained where she was for a few minutes, feeling completely at ease and relaxed. Murtagh's expression was impassive, even in sleep, but she could see traces of worry and exhaustion in it, and just a hint of contentment. She hoped he had healed some more overnight.

A knock at the door startled her. "Coming!" she called, slowly sitting up. As she did so, Murtagh's eyes fluttered open, and he looked at her tiredly.

"Morning. Did you get to rest for a couple minutes?" He smiled as he spoke, his tone gently teasing.

Tivittica rolled her eyes. "What do you think?" Another knock at the door made Murtagh jump, and Tivittica sighed. "I'd better go see who that is." She stood, stretched, and walked out of the bedroom, her bare feet making no noise on the carpet. When she reached the door, she opened it to see Tzadik again. "Oh, it's just you," she said, a relieved note in her voice.

"Guess what? Galbatorix isn't due to return until the end of the week."

"Really?" Tivittica asked, a look of hope creeping into her eyes. "That's great!" She hesitated then, for Tzadik didn't immediately offer any reply. "Was that all?"

"Yeah… Did I just wake you up?"

Tivittica glanced down and realized that she was still wearing her bathrobe, and it looked a bit rumpled from sleep. Her hair, she assumed, was no better, and she let out a sigh of annoyance. "Yes, you did, but don't worry about it. Thanks for letting me know."

"No problem." He saluted her with a smile and then left.

Tivittica closed the door with a yawn, then turned and returned to her bedroom. "Apparently, Galbatorix won't be back 'till the end of the week, so we have a couple of days to prepare for our departure."

"That's good," Murtagh agreed. "I wonder who told your friend."

"I don't know, but Tzadik's information has been reliable in the past. I trust him." She yawned again. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good."

Tivittica nodded. "I'm going to get dressed, and then we'll see about breakfast."

"No soup?" Murtagh asked hopefully.

"No soup," Tivittica replied with a smile. She headed to her closet and opened the door. After considering the clothes hanging inside, she selected a long-sleeve lavender tunic and black leggings. She then walked into the bathroom and closed the door, catching the faintest hint of disappointment flashing across Murtagh's face as she did so. She smiled to herself and quickly changed, draping her robe over the sink. After a quick brush of her hair, she stepped back out, feeling a bit more alert.

Murtagh was waiting for her, though it wasn't like he could do much else. As Tivittica re-entered the bedroom, he couldn't help but admire the way she looked. Her shirt had hints of silver and plum woven into it that formed intricate, swirling designs that matched her eyes perfectly. Her hair glinted in the sunlight that shone from the window, and she seemed to walk with an unconscious grace. "So, um, how about breakfast?"

For answer, Tivittica walked over to the trolley and pulled out two pastries. "Strawberry or coconut?"

"Strawberry, please." She passed him the pastry and began eating her own. They made short work of the delicious dessert, and Tivittica needed no further urging to pull a couple more from their supplies. When they'd finished, Tivittica tossed Murtagh a damp washcloth to wipe his hands with. "I need to check your bandages."

"Ok." He threw the cloth in the direction of the chair once he had finished, but missed, instead hitting Tivittica in the face. He laughed at her expression, and Tivittica, finding she couldn't maintain her annoyed expression any longer, smiled ruefully.

"Would you like another bath?" she asked, an evil grin creeping across her face.

"No, no, it's ok," Murtagh replied, quickly sobering as he remembered what had happened the previous night.

Tivittica pulled back the covers and placed her hand on his side where the bandages covered his wound. "Seems better." She checked his leg, hesitated, then said, "I think you're ready to try walking."

"Already?" He sat up, amazed at how quickly his body was healing, and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He carefully stood up—and let out a gasp of pain as his leg gave out on him. He fell forward, and if it hadn't been for Tivittica, he would've landed painfully on the floor. She caught him in her arms, her eyes full of concern and—amusement?

"Murtagh," she said calmly, "I said I _thought_ you ready to try walking—but with assistance. I understand you'd like to take your own bath, but please be patient. It's really not that important."

He didn't reply immediately, but smiled slightly. "I'm going to need help getting back up." She obliged, pulling him up while he gripped her waist for support. Their gazes met. She was so close…he had a sudden, insane urge to pull her closer and—

"Murtagh." She spoke his name softly, shaking him out of his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"We should, uh, try again, but this time, you need to use me for support."

"Support for what?" he asked, mind suddenly blank.

"For your _leg_," she replied, enunciating each word clearly and slowly. "If you want to escape in the next couple of days, you need to start walking again. I doubt you'll be completely healed by the time we leave."

"Oh, right." He glanced down at the floor. _I need either more nerve or more sense._

Tivittica slipped her hand around his waist, pivoting so that she was standing on his right side. "Put your arm around my shoulder." He did as she instructed. "Now, when I step forward, you step with your good leg. Then, when you step forward with your injured leg, put most of your weight on me. Ready?"

Murtagh nodded and stepped forward with Tivittica's assistance. Both stumbled, but neither fell. After a few more clumsy steps, they established a rhythm and managed to walk a lap around Tivittica's bedroom.

"Are you ready to try the main room?" Tivittica asked, trying to gauge Murtagh's exhaustion.

"I think so." They carefully left the bedroom and entered the main area. They had just reached the bookshelf closest to the door when a loud knock sounded. Both jumped, Murtagh accidentally losing his balance in the process and banging his head hard against the shelf as he fell. Tivittica looked at him worriedly before walking over to the door and opening it partly.

To her horror, the Twins stood outside. "Can I help you?" she asked curtly, mentally kicking herself for not turning Murtagh invisible.

"I was wondering if you had any idea where the prisoner was," one asked.

"Which prisoner?" She kept her tone cool and icy, making sure her mental barriers were prepared to resist any attempts by the Twins.

"Galbatorix's latest prisoner, Murtagh."

"What about him?"

"Don't make me repeat myself. Do you know where he is?"

"No."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes."

"Then tell me in the Ancient Language."

"I do not know where the prisoner you have in mind is," she replied in the ancient tongue, continuing in her mind, _for Murtagh is a prisoner no longer._ The Twins glared at her suspiciously. She felt a mental probe trying to enter her mind and immediately, her defenses blocked it. "Nice try, but I can't help you." She slammed the door in their angry faces and locked it, reinforcing it with magic. She quickly murmured the phrase in the Ancient Language to block listeners and turned back to Murtagh. "Sorry about—" She broke off suddenly, she'd just noticed that he was lying on the ground, unconscious, with a deep, jagged gash on his cheek and a large bump forming on the side of his head.

"Murtagh, you idiot," she murmured as she knelt beside his still form. "Can't you stop getting injured just for once?" She healed the worst of his injury, though she predicted he would have a nasty headache when he woke up. She then levitated him into the air and brought him back into her bedroom. As she lowered him gently onto the mattress, he began to stir.

"Unh, my head," Murtagh groaned as he slowly opened his eyes and glanced about warily.

"Are you ok?" Tivittica asked.

"I feel as if someone used my head as target practice for dropping anvils. But other than that, I'm pretty much fine."

Tivittica sighed. "Murtagh, we need to leave in a couple of days. You can't keep injuring yourself if you want to escape!"

"It's not my fault," he protested. "You know I wouldn't have done all this to myself."

"Yes, well, it's just…" She sighed. "I'm just worried, that's all. And you being injured doesn't help matters one bit. If I hadn't listened to that fool of a king, then we could've been gone, and you wouldn't be hurt!"

"Quit blaming yourself," Murtagh said sharply. She looked at him, slightly startled at his tone. "We should focus on getting out of here, not on how we got here in the first place. They'll be plenty of time for that later."

Tivittica didn't immediately reply, instead walking to her window to stare out at of it. _Fire, blood, more fire. She'd rushed into the burning building to find her mentor, Viribus, lying on the ground with a terrible wound to his chest. Against the wall was the body of the drunken soldier who'd tried to hurt her. "Viribus, I'm so sorry," she sobbed as she'd knelt beside him. "I shouldn't have left, I should have helped you, I should have…" she broke off, unable to continue._

"_Quit blaming yourself," he'd told her in a sharp tone. "Mistakes happen, and I don't blame you for being terrified. You'll know what to do next time."_

"_But my mistake cost you your life," she said quietly. "Let me heal you, please."_

"_No, you'd kill yourself from the effort, and then where would I be? I didn't save your life so you could throw it away. Dying is a natural part of life, Tivittica. Don't fear it, for it is the greatest thing that could happen to us. A new life, a new beginning…"_

"_Don't talk like that," she begged. "You can make it. I can—"_

"_No," he interrupted gently. "There's nothing you can do. But listen to me. Everything I own is yours now, so use it well. And never forget what I taught you…"_

"_Viribus," she whispered softly, "please don't leave me."_

"_I'll never truly leave you," he replied. "As long as you remember me, I will remain. Carry the memories I gave you in your heart… Now listen. You must use your powers only for the good of others. Fight only when there is no other option, and always assist those in need. You have a wonderful life ahead of you, Tivittica. Focus on that, and keep going. There is always hope, just as there is always a new day." He broke off, coughing up blood. "Now go. This place will burn down soon, and I don't want you caught inside."_

"_You can't die, Viribus. You _must_ let me help you."_

"_I'm sorry, but I can't allow that. I don't regret helping you, and honestly, there are worse ways one can depart from this world. I've had a good life, and now you must go and enjoy your own. This is the task I now charge you with, and you don't want to disappoint me, do you? I love you, Tivittica…you are like a daughter to me. Now leave and make me proud…"_

"You reminded me a little of Viribus," she told Murtagh quietly, bringing herself out of her reflections. "And you're right. My nerves were just getting to me."

He was quiet for a moment. "Do you want me to try walking again?"

"Well, if you feel up to it…"

"I do." He sat up and closed his eyes as his head spun. "But, maybe after a few minutes." He leaned back, his head throbbing painfully.

Tivittica had already decided not to mention the Twins to Murtagh. She knew he had enough to worry about, and she wanted him to focus on recovery. All she needed to do was keep her fears and personal misgivings concealed from him, and things should turn out well.

"Do you have any water?" Murtagh suddenly asked.

Tivittica nodded and picked up an empty cup from the tray. "Adurna," she murmured, summoning water which rushed from her fingertips to fill the glass. She stopped when it was full and passed it to Murtagh. He accepted it gratefully, sipping the cool liquid slowly. Tivittica walked over to her chair and sat down.

The meeting with the Twins had unsettled her. If they were suspicious, they might try to interfere with the escape, and Tivittica knew that nothing but trouble would come of that. But Galbatorix wasn't present, so maybe she could remove them from the picture once and for all… And then, Murtagh's current position was a problem in and of itself. She was certain she could heal him completely, but wasn't sure how much energy that would leave her. It had taken enough just to speed up the restoration of his broken bones, and she did not relish a confrontation with the Twins in a weakened state.

Several minutes later, both Tivittica and Murtagh had fallen asleep.

* * *

A/N: Chapter 18 on its way…and things start getting interesting.


	18. Complications

**Chapter 18: **_Complications_

**A/N:** I have a challenge of sorts for anyone who considers themselves fairly decent with drawing. Is there anyone out there who's willing to try drawing Tivittica or any of the other characters in my story? I don't mind if it's a regular drawing or a chibi, but if anyone's willing to try, please let me know. You can email me via my profile page if you have any questions. I've posted the website of the closest picture I've found so far on my profile page if you're interested in ideas. Anyways, here's the latest chapter!

* * *

The next day found Tivittica and Murtagh sleeping in each other's arms again. The previous day, Murtagh's headache had subsided enough so that he could continue walking around Tivittica's quarters in preparation for their coming departure. Tzadik had brought more food and informed Tivittica that the Twins had been searching for Murtagh. Murtagh had immediately wanted to continue practicing, and by the time night had fallen, he was limping about unaided. By unspoken consent, Tivittica had exhaustedly collapsed into her bed, anxiety and fear of discovery sapping her of her energy.

It was a knock at the door that awoke her in the morning. She opened her eyes tiredly, wondering why people didn't seem to have anything better to do than disturb her rest. She carefully slipped out of Murtagh's embrace and trudged to the main door, barely awake. She opened the door to reveal a young female servant standing before her. "Can I help you?"

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, miss, but the Twins were looking for you. They would like for you to meet them in the throne room."

Unease and apprehension filled Tivittica. "Please tell them I'll speak with them soon."

"They wish for you come at once," the girl replied apologetically.

"Very well. I'll get ready and meet them as they wish." The servant bowed respectfully and left. Tivittica sighed and shut the door. Did the Twins enjoy complicating things? If she ignored their wishes, they would immediately assume that she was hiding something and try to find Murtagh with even more determination and vigor than before. But if she went, they would surely try something anyway…

She returned to Murtagh, who was still asleep. She woke him gently and explained that the Twins had summoned her. He was, of course, not pleased with this, and made his opinion known.

"Murtagh, please," Tivittica interrupted wearily. "If I don't go, they'll get suspicious, and you know how those idiots are."

"Too well," Murtagh agreed darkly. "Though, didn't the last time you tried to avoid suspicion result in a trap?"

"There's risk both ways," Tivittica replied. She walked over to her table and picked up a dagger, which she handed to Murtagh. "I don't think you'll need this, but it's best to be prepared." He nodded, and she headed to the main room. As she left the bedroom, Murtagh suddenly called her name. She turned. "What?"

"Tivittica…be careful."

"I will." She slipped out of her quarters, closing the door behind her as she stepped into the hall. She was glad that she'd fallen asleep yesterday in the clothes she'd been wearing, for she wanted this meeting to be over as quickly as possible. Each passing second brought new worries to her, and she knew that if she stayed too long in her quarters, she'd come up with several reasons to delay her departure or not even go at all. Striding down the hall, she quickly descended the stairs that led to the main floor and hurried to the throne room. A guard she knew suddenly hailed her, and she turned to see what he wanted.

"Tivittica, the Twins were just looking for you. They went to your room to see if you were there."

The cold, paralyzing taste of fear gripped Tivittica hard. She was certain Murtagh was right… "Thanks," she told the guard, and darted back the way she had come, her fear lending her speed. She practically flew up the steps, and as she sped to her room, she could see a figure standing in front of it…one of the Twins. She drew to a halt outside the door and before she could react, a magical force field enveloped her, keeping her away from the Twin. "What are you doing?" she demanded, slightly out breath.

"We didn't know you would respond to our summons so quickly, so we thought we'd come here instead. When we knocked at the door, there was no answer, so my companion entered to see if you were awake."

"You expect me to believe that trash? You just wanted an excuse to search my room!" _Murtagh, _she thought worriedly, and to her horror, the word floated before her eyes, captured in the force field.

"I bet you weren't expecting that," the Twin told her smugly. "This force field displays thoughts you don't want us to discover." He smiled as several expletives replaced Murtagh's name.

Tivittica desperately tried to suppress her thoughts. Now that she was aware, she could sense the magic enveloping her mind, and began to resist. The Twin glared at her, trying to redouble his efforts. Suddenly, the door to Tivittica's room slammed open. Both turned to see the other Twin stagger out, clutching his chest, which was bleeding from a knife wound. Looking straight at Tivittica, he said, "What is the prisoner doing in your bedroom?"

The first Twin dropped the force field in surprise. Immediately, Tivittica kicked him in the groin and pulled her dirk out of her boot. She slammed the other Twin in the face with her hilt, and smiled grimly as he crumpled to the ground, unconscious. She tuned back to the first Twin, who had collapsed to his knees in agony, and seized the opportunity to punch him in the face with incredible force. He fell to the ground, senseless, but Tivittica didn't lower her dirk. "Was that answer enough?"

She turned and entered her room. Walking over to a bookshelf, she began searching for a particular vial.

"Tivittica, is that you?" Murtagh called from the bedroom.

"Yes," she replied. "I'll be with you in a moment." She walked back out to where the Twins' unconscious forms lay, and, snapping her fingers, bound them with rope that seemingly appeared from nowhere. She then ripped some material off of the bottom of the Twins' robes to make gags and doused each scrap with the liquid in the container she'd brought with her. It was similar to the drug Tábor had used on her, and would prevent the Twins from immediately seeking revenge on her once they awoke. She tied the gags around their mouths and dragged them none too gently over to the window. Unlocking it with her magic, she levitated them out, "accidentally" banging their heads against the wall and windowsill several times before dropping them to the ground. Tivittica followed, using her magic to slow her descent. Once she had landed, she moved the Twins to a small, seldom used shed that was in a rarely traversed section of the courtyard. After locking the door, she returned through the open window, relocked it, and hastened to her room. Securely closing the door behind her, she slowly let out her breath and allowed herself to relax slightly.

"Tivittica?" Murtagh's voice sounded tense, with undercurrents of pain and fear embedded in it.

She hurried to her bedroom. To her surprise, he was lying on the floor, blood flowing from the reopened wound on his side. Her dagger lay on the floor beside him, its blade bloody. "Murtagh! What happened?" She darted forward and knelt by his side, concern rapidly filling her body.

"The Twins," he replied weakly. "I injured one, but he was quick to repay the kindness. And this wound…it won't stop bleeding."

She could tell that he was afraid. "I'm sorry, Murtagh. You were right, and I…" She shook her head sadly. "I was an idiot. Twice now. And each time, you're the one who pays." She examined the wound and found a trace of magic that was responsible for the prolonged bleeding. She murmured the phrase to counteract it under her breath and was about to heal Murtagh when he suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Tiv…we need to leave—" he paused to take a shuddering breath, "—tonight." His grip suddenly slackened, and his eyes closed as he tried to fight back the pain. But it overwhelmed him, and the last thing he saw before passing out was Tivittica's startled, concerned expression…and a minor expletive floating over her head.

* * *

Tivittica stared worriedly at Murtagh a moment longer before she started to heal him. Tonight… It made sense, but she wasn't sure if he was ready to travel. The wound was incredibly deep, and she wished that she had killed the Twins when she'd had the chance. She normally hated injuring others, but she felt that the Twins and select others were an exception.

On a sudden, reckless whim, she healed Murtagh's ribs before finishing his side. The effort made her feel faint and light-headed, and she was glad that she'd used the Ancient Language to gradually heal the worst of it earlier instead of all at once. When she'd finished healing Murtagh, she carefully picked him up and placed him on her bed, making sure she hadn't left any blood on his side. She leaned against the table by the bed when she'd finished, feeling extremely dizzy. When the feeling had mostly passed, she obliterated all traces of blood from the floor before staggering to her chair and exhaustedly collapsing into it. She would try to do as he asked and help him escape in the evening, but first, she needed to reclaim some of her lost energy.

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, things are getting interesting, aren't they? Big climatic plot twist next chapter!


	19. Escape?

**Chapter 19: **_Escape?_

**A/N:** I'm almost done writing this story!! But don't worry; I have at least thirteen more chapters to post… So anyway, this is where things really begin to get interesting. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Murtagh awoke to see that it was late afternoon. He felt well-rested and full of energy. Sitting up, he was pleased to find that the effort no longer caused him any pain. Glancing down, he saw that the bandage was gone and that only a scar remained. Bemusedly, he looked around the room and spotted Tivittica sleeping on a chair.

Smiling, Murtagh slid out of the bed and walked over to Tivittica. His leg was still sore, but he was definitely improving. He gently picked her up and placed her on the bed before sitting down in the chair. He felt restless, and almost immediately stood back up. There was a kind of wild energy coursing through him as he paced around the room, and after about ten minutes had passed, he limped back over to the bed. He leaned over and shook Tivittica's still form. "Wake up, Tivittica. Sleeping won't help us escape!" She stirred, but did not wake. Sighing, he went in search of some cold water, which he found in the bathroom. After filling up a cup, he returned to the bed and poured the contents into Tivittica's face.

She sat up with a gasp, eyes quickly taking in her surroundings. "Murtagh!"

"Yes?" he replied calmly.

"I…" She glanced around, slightly confused as she registered the position of the sun's rays and her new location. "We need to get ready to leave. Galbatorix will be here tomorrow or the day following it."

"I know. That's why I woke you up."

"Oh…right." She brushed water droplets out of her face, swung her legs over the side of the bed, stood, and stretched. "Let's see. We'll need food for both of us, you need a shirt, and I need to change." She wandered to her closet and began rummaging through it. She pulled out a black cloak and the shirt Murtagh had been wearing, now cleansed of the blood that had been on it and devoid of the jagged slashes caused by the whip lashes. "Here's my spare cloak and your shirt." Murtagh caught it as she tossed it to him. Examining his shirt briefly, he decided that she had repaired it with magic, and as he pulled it on, Tivittica grabbed a new outfit and disappeared into the bathroom.

Murtagh waited patiently, though it didn't take long for Tivittica to change. She reemerged into the bedroom wearing a long-sleeve dark red tunic embellished with gold and another pair of black pants. "I'll get my armor on when we leave."

Murtagh nodded. "When will that be?"

"This evening, so we can slip out under the cover of darkness. With luck, we'll be a fair distance from the palace when Galbatorix returns."

"That's good… You healed my ribs, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Thought it might help."

"It did. Thanks."

"No problem. I'm going to talk to Tzadik about getting some provisions for the journey. Can you keep yourself occupied without getting into trouble?"

"Sure."

Tivittica raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Really? You seem to have a proclivity for attracting trouble."

"But it wasn't my fault!" Murtagh protested.

"Yes, it's never your fault, Murtagh. You're just a victim of fate." He rolled his eyes and she smiled. "Just kidding. I'll go now." She left, but Murtagh stayed where he was for several minutes, thoughts swirling through his mind. Finally, he walked over to the table by the closet. The forbidden history book he'd noticed before was lying there, and he picked it up with interest. Turning to the first page, he wandered back to the chair and began to read.

* * *

An hour or so later, Tivittica returned. She slipped in quietly through the front door, a pack of food slung over one shoulder. Tzadik had been quite helpful in the kitchens, offering suggestions and finding food that wouldn't spoil quickly. She walked silently to the doorframe of her bedroom and smiled. Murtagh was sitting in a chair, reading and seemingly absorbed in her history book. She watched for a moment until he looked up, having sensed her presence.

"You're back."

"Brilliant observation. I can see why Galbatorix took such an interest in you." She deposited the bag on a different chair and joined him. "Good book?"

"Yeah… I thought I'd do a bit of light reading." Tivittica chuckled, because he'd actually worked his way through a significant portion of the book. "Are you ready?"

"I have enough food to last us a couple days. We don't need to worry about water, and you can hunt, I assume."

Murtagh nodded. "How soon do we leave?"

"We'll wait for it to get a bit darker first." As she spoke, an ominous rumble of thunder sounded in the distance.

"Sounds like a plan," Murtagh said, then returned to the book.

Tivittica sighed and walked over to her closet. She pulled out the haversack that she had used on her prior journey and began packing. She felt nervous and apprehensive, but was looking forward to their escape. Soon, they'd be free. No longer would she have to pretend that she was working for Galbatorix, or have to worry about Murtagh being punished yet again. They'd be free…

* * *

There was barely any light visible when they left. Thunder boomed menacingly, and the sun had all but disappeared. Tivittica looked outside warily from the frame of a seldom used door. "Doesn't look like there's anyone around." She could make out the shape of a guard on the ramparts, but he was facing outward, oblivious of the two cloaked figures lurking in the shadows.

"That's good," Murtagh replied quietly. "Are you ready?"

"I think so." She shouldered her pack and took a deep breath. "Let's do this."

They slipped into the night, pulling up their hoods as a light rain began to fall. Tivittica led Murtagh towards the rarely used back gate cautiously, all of her senses on the alert. Suddenly, flames leapt up from the ground and surrounded them.

"What the…" Murtagh muttered, instinctively stepping closer to Tivittica.

Two figures stood outside the flames, silhouetted in the light. One stepped forward, and Tivittica stared at him in stunned silence. It was one of the Twins.

"Leaving so soon?" he asked maliciously.

"How…what…you escaped!" Tivittica managed.

"We always keep an antidote with us just in case," the other Twin replied calmly. "What you did deserves punishment. And if you think you can just _escape_ with the prisoner, think again!"

Tivittica met their gaze coolly and murmured a phrase in the Ancient Language, causing the fire to abruptly die. "What makes you think I'm just going to stand aside and let you take him?" Though her words were authoritative and resolute, her thoughts were in complete turmoil.

The Twins laughed cruelly. "You're about to find out," one said, and blasted a torrent of fire at Tivittica. She dodged out of the way, pulling Murtagh with her, but the flame snaked around her ankle, dragging her forward. "Brisingr!" she yelled, and suddenly, her body was obscured by flames. Murtagh stared in surprise as the fire suddenly dissipated and Tivittica straightened, seemingly unharmed.

"Is that the best you have?" she asked with a cold smile. The Twins glared at her and started blasting beams of magic at her. Tivittica quickly summoned a force field and turned to Murtagh. "Go to the back gate and get out of here."

"But—"

"Murtagh, the Twins only fight with magic, and you can't use the Ancient Language. They won't give you a fair fight!" The force field shuddered as several spells crashed into it, and a bead of sweat rolled down Tivittica's face. "Please, Murtagh, just go!"

"I can help," he said, torn.

"No, you'll only get in the way."

"You're saying I'm a liability?" He knew she was right, but he hated feeling helpless. He could tell that she was tiring, and he wished that there was as way he could help her fight the Twins.

"Murtagh…" Her voice was pleading and filled with emotion. "This won't take long. If you have a head start, I'll be able to fight more easily. I promise I'll catch up with you."

"Alright," he consented reluctantly. "But if you're one second too slow for my liking, I'm coming back for you."

Tivittica nodded, only half listening as she directed her full attention to the Twins. Once Murtagh was safely out of the way, she dropped the force field and began to vent her fury and disappointment upon the Twins.

* * *

Murtagh had nearly reached the gate when he sensed another presence nearby. He paused, looking about warily. "You weren't trying to escape, were you?" The voice was a subtle hiss, but it instantly filled Murtagh with fear. It was Galbatorix.

The king stepped forward from the shadow of the archway in front of the gate, clad entirely in black. An ebony cloak hung around his shoulders, and his eyes glittered in the faint moonlight with malice.

"I…I was just out for a breath of fresh air," Murtagh faltered, mentally cursing his stupidity even as he spoke.

"Right," Galbatorix sarcastically agreed as another rumble of thunder rent the air and the rain began to grow heavier. "I don't want to hear your excuses."

As he spoke, Murtagh felt a strange sensation creep across his throat. He opened his mouth to reply, but to his surprise, no sound came. Amidst the noise of the storm was the sound of fighting, and Galbatorix smiled. There was no warmth in his expression, though, and the gesture filled Murtagh with unease and apprehension.

"I see you found a replacement for Tornac," Galbatorix commented. It was like a slap in the face for Murtagh, and he glared angrily at the king in reply. Galbatorix chuckled darkly at Murtagh's reaction. "I think we should see how your so-called _friend_ is doing, even though you don't seem to care about those who sacrifice themselves for your sake."

Rage pulsed through Murtagh, and without thinking, he took a half-step towards Galbatorix. Abruptly, he felt a constricting pressure around his throat and chest. He gasped as the air was knocked out of his lungs and staggered back. The pressure eased as he faced the direction Tivittica and the Twins were in.

Galbatorix watched the entire episode impassively, though there was the faintest hint of amusement in his eyes. "Glad we understand each other now. Lead on, Murtagh." Reluctantly, Murtagh headed back to where he had last seen Tivittica. If he veered in any other direction, the choking pressure returned.

Soon, they had reached the duel between Tivittica and the Twins. Bright blasts of magic were flying too quickly for Murtagh to follow. Suddenly, a huge bolt of lightning struck between the Twins. Murtagh could feel the power from the blast and froze in surprise. Before the Twins could even react, Tivittica sent twin beams of magic crashing into them. The force slammed them into the wall, and they fell, unconscious, to the ground.

Tivittica paused for a moment as another bolt of lightening struck nearby. She quickly murmured something in the Ancient Language, and the bolt seemed to be drawn to her before dissipating. Tivittica seemed to glow for the briefest fraction of a second before returning her attention to the Twins. "They're not dead," she muttered disappointedly, beginning to take a step towards them. And then, she caught sight of Murtagh. "Murtagh, what's wrong? Did you get tired of waiting?"

_Go, _Murtagh mouthed to her. _It's a trap._

Tivittica's eyes widened as Galbatorix materialized out of the darkness behind Murtagh.

"You know, it's usually considered impolite to abandon your host without letting him know that you're leaving. You were, after all, my guest."

"_Guest?_" Tivittica spat, regaining her composure quickly. She stepped towards Murtagh and muttered something under her breath. He felt a tickling sensation in his throat, and realized that she must have counteracted Galbatorix's spell. "Tivittica?" he whispered. She ignored him, facing Galbatorix with defiance blazing in her eyes. "Hardly your guest. I've hated you my entire life, you fool. You're arrogant, overrated, capricious, manipulative, egotistical…"

Galbatorix sighed and interrupted her. "I had my suspicions about you, Tivittica. But your days of defiance end here—and you will regret every second of it." He gestured carelessly with his hand, and suddenly Tivittica was on her knees, screaming in pain. Murtagh knelt beside her, and she gripped his hand tightly before passing out. Galbatorix laughed, a chillingly malicious sound that filled Murtagh with dread. "How touching, Murtagh. I didn't think you practiced chivalry." His eyes narrowed, and a harsh syllable escaped from his lips. Murtagh's vision abruptly darkened, and the last thing he remembered was the boom of thunder and Tivittica's pale face.

* * *

A/N: Can I get a mwa ha ha, anyone? (While editing this chapter, author reads the final author's note. A chilling, very well done "mwa ha ha" escapes from her lips, and she suddenly wonders why everyone is staring at her strangely. Oops… XD) Next chapter on it's way soon…


	20. Repercussions

**Chapter 20:**_ Repercussions_

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I actually have homework this year! But now, at last, I've finished this chapter…

Wow, 102 reviews!! That's the most any of my stories has gotten. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Special thanks to Mysteerya, Bookaholic, KRM-EditorInChief, AdriaDara, alsdssq, Canadian-Girl14, and Cameron for reviews and helpful advice. And special thanks to everyone else who's reviewed.

I'm planning on going back and doing some major editing in my earlier chapters, especially chapters 6, 7, and 13. Anyways, enough of my mindless chatter. Here's the next chapter!

* * *

Tivittica awoke in utter darkness. Her arms were bound in front of her, and she felt stiff and sore all over. Memories of the failed escape attempt filled her mind, and a frustrated groan escaped from her lips. If the Twins hadn't ambushed them, they might have been able to escape… If she had fought harder or attacked Galbatorix directly, she might've bought Murtagh time to escape… If she had thought through the implications of Tábor's words more… There was nothing, though, that she could do to fix her mistake. She'd let Murtagh down. He would now be punished even more than before…and it would be completely her fault.

Tivittica shifted and heard the rattle of chains as she moved her arms. "Brisingr," she whispered, and a small flame appeared in her hand. She examined her surroundings carefully. Four grim, unfriendly walls surrounded her, with no apparent way out. No window, no door; just the cold stone floor and walls, uncompromising and merciless. Her arms, bound together at the wrists with one large manacle, were chained to a sturdy metal loop attached to the wall behind her. Tivittica closed her eyes and fought down the rising panic in her. So what if Galbatorix had known that she hadn't been loyal to him all along? True, this complicated matters, but maybe there was that she could still salvage this whole mess and save Murtagh. And maybe the Twins would suddenly discover their conscience and start acting like gentlemen…

_No, _Tivittica told herself sternly. _Get a hold of yourself. I just need to take things one step at a time, and let the rest sort itself out. _She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying not to let her mind wander. She examined the manacle around her wrists intently, trying to figure how best to free herself of it. She settled for sending a tendril of magic into the small keyhole, trying to get a better sense of the locking mechanism. Perhaps she could simply use her magic to manipulate it open…

But of course, as with all things that involved Galbatorix, it was not that easy. As she probed the lock, the manacle glowed and absorbed her energy. Hastily, Tivittica broke off, but as she did so, the glow crept down her arms and across her body, filling it with an excruciating pain. It seemed to be never ending, so intense was the agony, almost to the point of being mind-numbing. She was unable to prevent the scream of pain that burst from her lips as the moments passed, and actually blacked out for a few seconds from the force of it.

Only a couple of minutes had passed by the time the pain left her, but to Tivittica, it felt as if it had been hours. Her flame had died out, but she felt too weak to rekindle it as she leaned against the wall in the surrounding darkness. What the heck had just happened? She replayed the event in her mind, trying to figure out exactly what had transpired. Galbatorix must have placed some sort of magic-resistant charm on the manacle, making the slightest amount of energy used on it reflect back several hundred times more powerful. She shuddered to think what would have happened if she tried to blast the thing off. Only Galbatorix would place an enchantment that strong and painful on a stupid manacle.

Tivittica wondered exactly how much Galbatorix knew about her activities. To go to such lengths to deceive her and expose her… it was a disturbing concept to contemplate.

She was distracted from her troubling thoughts by the faint sound of approaching footsteps. She reached up and touched the raven on her choker with one of her bound hands, feeling the faintest tingling sensation as she did so. Viribus had once told her that drawing one's energy from living things was very unadvisable, for many creatures would die in the process. It was better, therefore, to absorb energy from things naturally powerful, such as lightning. To do so, however, was incredibly complicated, for the power of lightning was something that, if absorbed and allowed to flow through the body unchecked, would result in extreme pain and almost certain death. The trick, he'd told her, was to imprison the power in something that keep it contained without doing any bodily harm. Thus, the user could have an extra source of power to draw upon without having to worry about it overwhelming them. He'd helped her create something to harness the energy of the lightning when he felt that she was ready, guiding her through each step with a master craftsman's care. Every time she looked at her necklace now, she was reminded of the man who had helped her so much. A man whom she would never forget, who was like a father to her…

There was lightning trapped in the necklace now, waiting for her to say the word and summon some of its power. It would lend her much strength, but she knew that she needed to wait. Once the energy was gone, it could not be easily replaced, and she already felt exhausted as it was. Suddenly, the wall across from her seemed to shimmer slightly. She stared at it, sitting up in the process, and quickly muttered "brisingr" once more as she heard the sound of a key turning in a lock.

Where there had once been a solid wall, there was now a door, and as she watched in stunned amazement, the door slowly opened, spilling in some light. Before she could react, a force suddenly slammed her against the wall, extinguishing her flame, and rendering her unable to move. Two stone faced guards entered the cell, and Tivittica could make out the shape of a few more soldiers hovering outside. One guard raised the ring of keys in his hands and unlocked the manacles binding her wrists together while the other held her immobile.

"You're to come with us," the guard with the key said. "If you attempt any form of escape, you will quickly wish you hadn't. Do you understand?"

Tivittica nodded, wondering if these guards were some sort of elite group working for Galbatorix. There were a few rogue magicians in the king's services, but they weren't an actual part of the army, though they did work with one or two specialized squads that they were responsible for protecting during a battle. This was something different entirely.

They roughly hauled her to her feet, sending waves of dizziness through her. A vicious shove forward sent her staggering out of the cell, head spinning. She recognized none of the guards standing outside, and a shiver of apprehension swept across her body. Had Galbatorix determined her punishment already?

The solemn men surrounded Tivittica and slowly escorted her down the narrow hall to another door. This led to a massive chamber with soaring rafters. Tivittica had been in the room once before, and knew that Galbatorix's dragon, Shruikan, often stayed in here. To her relief, the fearsome black dragon was nowhere to be seen. The guards led her across the floor to a small, foreboding door set in the wall that Tivittica had somehow overlooked in her past visit. The first guard stepped forward and unlocked the door, opening it to reveal a staircase that descended into darkness.

Tivittica shivered in spite of herself as the guards led her down into the unknown. Torches flickered pitifully on the walls, creating more darkness than light in the gloom. The stairs seemed endless, stone walls and steps spiraling continuously downward, and Tivittica was just beginning to contemplate the best way to ask for a break when they abruptly reached the bottom.

A large chamber stretched before them, cold and sinister in appearance. Flickering torches blazed in braziers, and in the back right corner, there was a stone balcony overlooking the room with a small, built-in set of stairs leading to the floor. A door was also set into the wall that the balcony protruded from. As Tivittica's gaze swept across the room, she realized that there was a figure chained to the middle of the left wall, the direction that the balcony was facing. Her heart skipped a beat when she made out who it was: Murtagh.

He looked up as the guards dragged her forward. His face was pale, and there was a bleeding cut on his cheek. Their eyes met briefly, and she could see fear, apprehension, relief, and guilt in his gaze. She hoped that there was someway she could reassure him, for she was certain that she must look pretty bad. And if he could read her emotions as easily as she had read his…

Suddenly, a door set in the back of the room opened and Galbatorix stepped out. He was, as usual, wearing black, and there seemed to be a hint of anticipation in his expression.

"Tivittica," he spoke. "So glad you could join us." Tivittica didn't deign to reply, instead staring evenly at the king. He sighed. "You do realize, of course, why you're here?"

"You discovered my illegal strawberry trade?" Tivittica guessed sarcastically, her mind racing. What could Galbatorix possibly have in store for her?

"I'd like a strawberry," Murtagh muttered, the faintest trace of a smile on his face countered by the concern in his eyes. Tivittica shook her head slightly and directed her attention back to the king. Galbatorix's eyes were now narrowed.

"I want none of your stupidity, Tivittica. You're time of punishment has come at last."

"At last?" Tivittica echoed, a cold feeling of fear creeping across her.

"Yes… Did you ever wonder why I never asked you to swear fealty to me in the Ancient Language? I knew that you would never serve me willingly, and I decided that I could use some entertainment… I allowed one of my most faithful servants to monitor you, and discovered that my suspicions were correct. He took control of some soldier's body and went to your room…and there he discovered myprisoner, Murtagh. The Twins helped as well. They complained that I hadn't allowed them to punish the prisoner properly. You wouldn't have had anything to do with that, would you?"

Tivittica stared at Galbatorix, her throat dry. For a second, she felt as if she couldn't breathe. _So he knows…everything?_ "Is that all?" she asked, fear making her sound brazen and defiant.

"Well, if you think that you're not going to be punished for your actions, you are an incredibly naïve fool."

"That's not what I'm asking about. Do you really know all that I've done?"

Galbatorix glared at her. "What do you mean?"

"You've barely scratched the surface if you think helping an innocent man was a 'crime'. You barely know anything! So who's the ignorant one now?" She was practically shouting the words, not even bothering to conceal her spite.

Galbatorix calmly stepped forward and slapped Tivittica in the face. The force made her eyes water, but she didn't say anything. "You _fool,_" he said softly. "Do you really think that I'm going to let you walk away from this unscathed?" He directed his attention to the guards. "You're dismissed." Tivittica's escorts nodded and silently left. Galbatorix turned back to Tivittica. "I suppose you'll want to know what I have in store for you?"

"I don't really care. You're just looking for an excuse to make yourself feel powerful. Ever since you lost your dragon—"

"Enough!" Galbatorix shouted. Tivittica allowed herself a slight smile, satisfied that she had struck a nerve. She knew that she was treading on dangerous ground, but she couldn't help it. Everything was coming at her too quickly, and the recent turn of events had nearly overwhelmed her. She couldn't help _but_ feel responsible for all of this, for it was through her own misjudgments and mistakes that both she and Murtagh were here, though she'd come so close to freeing the both of them…

"How dare you address me in such a manner!" Galbatorix continued. "You presume to know me, but this time, you've stepped too far."

"You just don't have enough courage to admit the truth," Tivittica replied icily. "You're a coward at heart, Galbatorix."

The look on the king's face was pure murder, and Tivittica wondered if she had gone too far. When Galbatorix finally spoke, his voice was soft yet sharp and chilling. "Your time of amusement at my expense ends here. I will allow you to duel my loyal follower who thirsts for your blood in armed combat. It shall be a fight…to the death."

The words hung in the air with a sense of finality, and Tivittica felt her defiance—and courage—diminish slightly. A fight to the death, and she had no blade with her. She could see fear on Murtagh's face, coupled with intense worry, and knew that she'd have to work extra hard to remain, at least outwardly, calm.

Galbatorix raised his arm and a sword lifted from the balcony. It was Tivittica's own blade, made of black diamond and reinforced with bits of steel. The hilt had a worn black leather grip and an opal pommel. The name of her sword, Venator, was engraved in the crosspiece. As Tivittica watched, the sword slowly made its way to her and finally came to a halt in the air, floating with the blade pointed towards her. Tivittica carefully accepted it by the hilt. Her armor was gone, and no doubt Galbatorix had that as well. At least he had given her Venator. Still, she couldn't help the apprehension that swirled through body, mixing with fear and anxiety. Although she felt a bit more prepared for the coming battle, she still incredibly wary and nervous. One mistake was all it might take for her to lose her life…

Galbatorix crossed the room to the viewing platform, climbed the stairs, and stood with his hands on the top of the stone railing that extended to the floor of the balcony. He raised an arm halfway. "Tivittica, your opponent will reveal himself to you shortly. He will spare you no mercy. I hope you will make this entertaining." He lowered his arm to its original position, and as he did so, a figure stepped out of the shadows from below the platform.

Tivittica felt her breath catch in her throat. There was no mistaking the man after all these years. It was Morzan.

* * *

A/N: I was wondering if the whole strawberry thing worked in this chapter, especially when Murtagh interjected. It was supposed to be a little humor to help lighten the mood, but does Murtagh act out of character? Just wondering…

Chapter 21 is on the way…


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: **_To Be Decided_

**A/N: **Wow, I actually finished this chapter! I'm really sorry about the wait; I know how annoying cliffhangers can be, and I left off on a really big one! Hopefully, the length of this chapter will make up for it!!

Big news: I _finally_ finished writing this fanfict. There are 32 or 33 chapters total. Major thanks to Mysteerya, Cameron K. and Aaron A. for their suggestions. I'm far from being done editing though… *sigh*. By the way, if you like this story so far, I seriously suggest that you add it to your story alert list…anyone who's been keeping up with my fanfict will tell you that while I do update, there are sometimes _really _big gaps…

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

She wasn't sure what was more terrible: seeing her parents' murderer standing before her, somehow, impossibly, back from the dead, or the look of shock and horror on Murtagh's face. "No," she breathed. "That's…impossible. You're supposed to be _dead_." As if mere words could hold off this ghastly image of a man. As if words could really suppress the numbing fear threatening to paralyze her.

"And you will be," Morzan replied. His voice…cold, soul-chilling, with the faintest hint of a soft sibilance. His skin was pale and taut, but his eyes…his eyes had a dark, vicious intensity about them. His black hair hung limply from his head, and he looked as if he had seen much better days. A nightmarish aura clung to him, giving the room an even colder feel than it had had before.

"But… Brom _killed_ you." Again, the words struggled like a lone torch trying to keep back the darkness.

Morzan laughed maliciously, and Tivittica shuddered at the noise. "That he did, but Galbatorix rewards those are faithful to him… and he had further use for me."

"This isn't right," Tivittica murmured, unconsciously backing away a few steps from Morzan. Part of her mind was screaming at her to run, _run!, _but her body seemed frozen. _How do you kill someone who's already dead? _

"Rïsa (rise)!" Morzan barked. Tivittica found herself suspended in the air, unable to move despite her desperate struggles. "Thrysta (compress)," Morzan murmured, a malevolent gleam in his eyes. Tivittica lost her grip on her sword as a crushing weight smashed into her lungs. She couldn't breathe… couldn't… breathe…

"Leave her alone!" Murtagh suddenly yelled. Morzan turned, and the pressure eased slightly around Tivittica's throat. She gasped for air, trying to blink away the dark spots that had been floating in front of her.

"Murtagh," Morzan said coldly, no warmth in his tone at all as he looked upon his son for the first time in many years. "Why am I not surprised that you've fallen for a _traitor?_"

Murtagh glared at his father defiantly. "She's hardly the traitor here."

"Fine words for you to say," Morzan sneered contemptuously. He flicked his wrist dismissively, and Tivittica collapsed abruptly to the ground. She remained where she'd fallen, facedown on the ground, momentarily too weak to get up. Morzan glanced back at her. "Glad to see you've learned some respect, but it's a bit too late for you." He stepped closer to her and crouched down, regarding her. "I wonder if you'll be more like your mother or your father when I kill you. Yes," he added as Tivittica stiffened slightly, "I'm glad to see you still remember me…and I do know who you are. I could've finished this a lot sooner if my fool of a son hadn't gotten in the way…"

"What do you mean?" Tivittica asked quietly, forcing herself to her elbows. Upon closer examination, she supposed that Murtagh did resemble his father, but there were clear differences. Everything about Morzan was darker, more sinister…

"I could've controlled you the day you tried to help _Murtagh_." He practically spat the name out. "You were so weak, so unstable, even for a female. Your mind was incredibly fragile and vulnerable. So vulnerable…" He closed his eyes for a moment as if to savor the memory.

"You're sick," Murtagh spoke from behind his father. Though Murtagh was still chained to the wall and had spoken softly, Tivittica could hear everything he said clearly. "No wonder you enjoy working for Galbatorix."

"Do me a favor and shut up," Morzan replied without even turning around. He stared at Tivittica a moment longer, then sighed and straightened. "This is too easy. I want to hear your screams for mercy, but it looks like you're too weak to manage even that." He murmured something under his breath, and Tivittica felt some of her energy return. "Pick up your sword," Morzan ordered, "and let's have a _proper_ fight." He walked to the other side of the room, turned, and stood waiting.

Warily, Tivittica rose. She walked to her sword, picked it up, and slowly crossed over to where Morzan was. She knew she would need the lightning's energy soon, but she was reluctant to summon the power with both Galbatorix and Morzan's attention on her.

She stopped several feet away from Morzan, waiting for him to make the first move. He would be a deadly opponent, she was sure of that, but for Murtagh's sake, at least, she would do whatever she could to persevere. Just the thought of him made her feel a bit more determined, a bit more ready to face this coming battle. She allowed herself the briefest of glances at him, saw the worry clearly etched on his face. She could do this. She _would_ do this. And then Morzan's blade flashed forward.

Mentally kicking herself for letting her guard drop, even for a second, Tivittica blocked his blade, instinct alone saving her. He drew back, twisted to the side, and slammed his blade into her arm faster than she had thought possible. Her body barely had any time to register the pain, for he was attacking yet again.

And now she felt it, the sharp, piercing sting, and in her sword arm too. Every time she blocked him, and his sword collided with hers, fresh bursts of pain shot through her arm. If this kept up much longer, even her reflexes wouldn't be able to save her—she had a feeling the next few blocks wouldn't last long enough to do any good. "Waíse heill," she murmured under her breath, knowing that in her current state, something as simple as this was a huge risk.

Her wound closed quickly, but it took most of her already dwindling energy with it. Dizziness swept over her, and she struggled to maintain her balance. Now it took all of her concentration just to defend herself, and she knew that the time had come to use the lightning.

"So you _can_ use magic," Morzan commented, pausing briefly to watch her. "But unfortunately, your abilities are even more pitiful than your dueling skills. I have a feeling that you'll be more like your mother when I kill you…"

"What makes you think that you're going to kill me?" Tivittica replied quietly. "_Losna_ (release)!" She reached up briefly to brush her fingers against the raven choker, eyes focused on Morzan in case he attempted something.

To her surprise, he didn't push forward with an attack. "And what, pray tell, was _that_ supposed to accomplish?" He glanced over his shoulder briefly at Murtagh, but his son was still securely chained to the wall. Tivittica followed his gaze to the ceiling, than to the braziers, slightly amused that he would deem her worthy of that much credit. Was there more to his derision then there appeared? Had he been…hiding something?

But her pattern of thought was disrupted by a growing worry. Nothing had happened yet, and she wondered if she had done something wrong. It had been so long since she'd used lightning…

Evidently, Morzan had reached the same conclusion. He chuckled briefly, a sinister noise. "I'm surprised that Galbatorix considered you a threat. In fact, I—" He broke off as the raven began to glow with a pure, bright light. Tivittica felt a rush of wild energy fill her, more powerful than any adrenaline spike. It threatened to overwhelm her, but she managed to control it, and knew at once that she could sustain large amounts of powerful magic for a long time—which might be what it would take to defeat Morzan.

Energy coursed through her body, and she was suddenly more aware of things. Everything was sharper, clearer, and all traces of exhaustion and weakness were gone. The light faded from the raven, but she felt stronger than ever. It was time to show Morzan that he was not in for an easy fight. She raised her blade. "Shall we?"

A sneer curled at Morzan's lips. "Only if you intend on actually _fighting_ this time."

Tivittica didn't bother replying, instead advancing and bringing her sword down in a powerful offensive blow. Morzan blocked and lunged forward with an assault of his own, and the next several minutes consisted of exchanges of thrusts, parries, and lunges. It was a deadly dance that they were engaged in, and any time one received an injury, they would heal it on the spot, each unwilling to give the other any possible advantages, though no serious injuries were sustained.

Eventually, Tivittica found herself being gradually driven to the wall. Though she was aware of what Morzan was doing, she found herself unable to outmaneuver him, for such was the intensity of their duel. She could still feel the lightning's energy coursing through her, its manic energy whispering, calling to her. She would be at a disadvantage once she was backed against the wall, and Morzan would do everything in his power to keep her there. But how to avoid such a situation? She was rapidly running out of time, and desperate times called for desperate measures…

Unexpectedly, Morzan kicked her, and she slammed into the wall painfully, realizing that she'd been much closer than she'd expected. Time was up. Morzan's blade snaked towards her throat, a slightly contemptuous air about him despite the ferocity of their duel. Tivittica knew that she wouldn't be able to block him fast enough, but she had no intention of dying just yet. Instead, she closed her eyes and let the lightning's power flow through her. The sensation was so intense, she couldn't think of any words in the Ancient Language, or for that matter, practically anything. Raw energy filled her, consumed her, and burst out of her.

A brilliant burst of light exploded between them, and Morzan hesitated in surprise. The light touched his sword and became fire, swarming rapidly towards the hilt of his sword. Morzan cursed under his breath and muttered something in the Ancient Language that extinguished the fire on his sword. Tivittica knew she needed to act quickly, but she needed to control the lightning first. The light was still hovering around her, but seemed to be more fire than light, and on a sudden whim, she murmured, "Gath du brisingr un eka (unite the fire and me)." The light seemed to swirl about her and became a glowing flame, but it seemed to be in the form of something. Tivittica could feel the flame in front of her, but more so, as though part of herself _was_ the flame. Experimentally, Tivittica raised her left arm, and a tendril of the flame rose on the left side. Strangely, it appeared to be in the shape of a wing.

Morzan had been warily watching all of this, but now raised his blade again. "Enough of your cheap theatrics!" he snarled.

Tivittica pushed her left hand forward, away from her, and the fiery wing shoved itself into Morzan, setting his body alight. Rapidly, he extinguished the flames, but each time he did, Tivittica would just make the fire burn him again. "I don't know about you Morzan, but these so-called theatrics of mine seem pretty real to me."

Morzan swore in frustration and backed off. Smiling, Tivittica pressed her attack, sending her flame closer to him. As the flame started to move away from her, it spread both of its wing-like tendrils, and with a start, Tivittica realized that it resembled a bird in shape. Able to control the fire's direction with her own movements, Tivittica forced Morzan to retreat further and further back. She found that she did not need to step forward if she wanted the fire to advance; instead, it obeyed her thoughts. She pressed Morzan mercilessly to the opposite wall, focused on trapping him and finishing him off once and for all.

Morzan raised his blade and Tivittica almost laughed. Fire would only melt metal, what was he thinking? "Thrysta vindr (compress the air)!" Morzan shouted, and suddenly, the air around his sword started to shimmer. Whenever the fire came close to it, it started to flicker. _Clever, _Tivittica thought in irritation. _He's taking the air around his sword away and focusing it on the sword so that the fire has nothing to fuel it…except for me._ Already, she could feel a slight drain on her energy, and thinking quickly, muttered "Jierda (break)." The fiery bird split into two long, thin tendrils of flame, becoming two fiery whips. Tivittica sent them twisting through the air as she attempted to gain an opening in Morzan's defenses. Again and again she sent her flames towards Morzan, but he managed to dodge and deflect them.

_This isn't working! _Tivittica thought in frustration. As she struck at Morzan again, he suddenly appeared to lose his balance and fell to the ground, his left side completely exposed to her mercy. A hint of a smile flashed across her face as she brought both whips down.

What happened next was unexpected. Morzan raised one hand, murmuring words of the Ancient Language under his breath. The edge of the flames transformed into lighting, but it did not strike Morzan immediately. He sat up, raised his blade, and allowed the lightning to flow across it. Still muttering in the Ancient Language, he straightened in one sinuous movement, walked in four quick strides to where Murtagh was chained to the wall, and touched the tip of his sword to one of the manacles. The lightning flowed from the sword, through the manacle…into Murtagh.

Murtagh's eyes widened as the energy flowed into him, pain flashing across his face. Morzan did not move, a cruel smile playing about his lips. The lightning continued to flow into Murtagh, fueled by Tivittica's flames. Another phrase in the Ancient Language increased the amount of fire being converted, and Tivittica could feel a slight drain on her energy. But that was nothing compared to what she imagined Murtagh was feeling. _What am I doing?_ she asked herself angrily. Though Morzan's actions had been both surprising and sudden, _she_ was the one creating the source of the lightning and _she_ would be the one to stop it. Even as she thought this, Murtagh let out a cry of pain, straining against his bonds as electricity played across his body. "Brisingr deyja (fire die)!" she yelled.

Her connection with the fire disappeared as the flames closest to her began to fade into nothingness. "Faster," she muttered through gritted teeth, angry that Morzan had dragged Murtagh into this. The fire, and with it the lightning, died quickly, though to Tivittica it could not disappear fast enough. Murtagh slumped against his chains, and were he not bound, he would have collapsed to the floor.

Morzan glanced at Tivittica with contemptuous disdain. "Really, is that your best?" Abruptly, he plunged his blade into Murtagh's side.

"You sick, twisted bastard!" Tivittica shouted in angry frustration. "No wonder Murtagh hates you so much—you don't deserve the right to be called father, and you certainly don't deserve the right to live!" She crossed the room swiftly without breaking into a run. She knew it was senseless to rush headfirst into a battle, but wanted to end it quickly. Clearly, Morzan was not above foul play, and she didn't want Murtagh to get dragged into this. It had to end now.

A few feet away from Morzan, she stopped and raised her blade warily. "Waíse heill," she muttered under breath, trying to heal at least some of the damage that Morzan had inflicted.

Morzan chuckled darkly. "Don't waste your breath." He stabbed Murtagh again just as Tivittica's magic closed the wound. Murtagh sucked in his breath sharply but said nothing, his dark eyes clouded with worry.

Knowing Murtagh, he would be more worried about her than himself, Tivittica reflected with a sigh. "Your fight isn't with your son, Morzan," she said coldly, trying to restrain her anger at his actions, "so why don't you quit hiding behind him like a coward?"

Morzan's eyes narrowed. "A coward?" he echoed quietly. "Hardly. And while you're on the subject, only a _coward_ would leave her parents behind to die."

It stung. She lunged forward, swinging her blade downwards. He sidestepped her swing with ease, shaking his head. "You'll have to try much harder than that if you want to kill me, my dear. But here, let me show you something."

"Not interested!" she snarled angrily. She attacked again, but, quite suddenly, he wasn't there. Blade half raised, Tivittica looked about warily.

"You should be," a soft yet menacing voice sounded from behind her. She was about to turn, but froze as Morzan's blade pressed lightly against her neck. She could feel him directly behind her, his arm around her shoulder, and shuddered inwardly. "Garjzla (light)," Morzan added, and he shimmered into the visible spectrum before pursuing a mental attack on Tivittica.

She struggled against his strength, both mentally and physically, but quite suddenly a vision sprang into her mind: her father engaged in a vicious duel with Morzan, from Morzan's point of view. She gasped in shock. "Father…"

_Consider it a gift, if you will,_ Morzan spoke in her mind. His presence was dark, malevolent, and powerful. _I hope you enjoy the show…_

_Her father was fighting Morzan even more fiercely now and using magic as well. Suddenly, something slammed into the back of Morzan, and he staggered into the wall just in time to receive a deep gash on his arm from Tivittica's father. The view shifted slightly to show Tivittica's mother leaning against a chair. Vaelyn had taught her how to use the Ancient Language, but Arianna had always tired quicker than him, and now was no exception. Morzan seized the opportunity at once, and as he was fighting Vaelyn, he shot beams of magic at Arianna._

_She dodged the first, but she didn't avoid the second in time. The blast crashed into her, and she let out a scream of pain as she collapsed to the ground. Vaelyn tried to run over to her, but Morzan kept blocking his way. Vaelyn angrily cursed Morzan, who in turn only laughed. A bolt of magic narrowly missed Morzan and crashed into the nearby window._

_Finally, Vaelyn was able to reach his wife, but it was too late to save her. She quietly whispered something to him, and then breathed her last. Vaelyn stared at her body in disbelief. "Arianna," he whispered, and then his voice, filled with intense pain and grief, rose. "Arianna—no! Arianna!" _

Morzan was speaking now, but Tivittica barely caught the words. She couldn't believe what she had just seen—and she wasn't sure she wanted to see anymore…

_Her father was fighting Morzan now, with even more determination than before. Their duel lasted several minutes, until Morzan conjured an image of Arianna. She stood in front of the wall, a plaintive expression on her face. "Vaelyn…"_

_He hesitated for a second, and that was all Morzan needed, quickly plunging his blade into Vaelyn's chest. A strangled gasp came from the elf's mouth, and he sagged to the ground, shock, pain, and anger flashing in his eyes._

"_That's more like it," Morzan said, the satisfaction evident in his voice. Suddenly Vaelyn yelled a phrase in the Ancient Language. Pain erupted across Morzan's chest, and he angrily let out a curse before replying in a similar manner. Silence descended upon the house as Vaelyn struggled to breathe. Morzan chuckled darkly, then walked to the door of the house. He stepped outside, and turned to survey the house…_

_That's enough, _Tivittica thought to Morzan. She knew what would happen next, and had no wish to see anymore.

_What's the matter? Everything I showed you actually happened. _He paused._ Oh, that's the problem, isn't it? You just don't like to be reminded that you _abandoned _your parents in their time of need._

_I didn't abandon them! _she thought fiercely. _Now get out of my head!_

_Sore subject for you, isn't it?_

_Get out! _she yelled, struggling to erect her mental barriers. Images of death and destruction filled her mind as she grappled with Morzan. Cruelty and darkness assailed her from all sides, made all the more terrible by the fact that Morzan took pleasure from the images.

More pictures joined the first,among them the image of her childhood home in flames and the feeling of Morzan's satisfaction. Juxtaposed in the background was a picture of Murtagh when he was much younger, his back covered in blood, and Zar'roc on the floor beside him. Blood and fire—the images brought back images of Viribus's last moments, and she suddenly had had enough. Her parents' murderer was right here, _in her head_! Summoning some of the remaining traces of the lightning's power, she used its strength to shelter her innermost thoughts before expanding her shield outward. Almost immediately, she encountered Morzan, but the lightning and her frustration combined into a powerful wedge that drove him backward. All of her loss, experienced anew, combined with her hatred of him and drove him out.

As Morzan's presence left her mind, she became aware of her surroundings. She realized that she'd fallen to her knees, and that Morzan was still standing behind her, though his sword was now lowered. Tivittica quickly rolled to the side and straightened, feeling slightly disoriented. Morzan was glaring at her now. "Still some fight in you? Let's make this quick, then."

Tivittica lunged at him with her sword by means of reply. He barely blocked it in time, but struck back swiftly. She blocked him, eyes glittering fiercely. "Do you honestly think that you can just strut about, attacking anyone who gets in your way, without suffering any consequences? Well, Brom apparently didn't think so, and neither do I!"

"You're such an irritating, presumptuous female!" Morzan spat. "No wonder your parents didn't try harder to come back to you!"

Tivittica pushed her attack harder, enraged by his statement. Such was her vicious intensity that Morzan found himself forced to the defensive, Tivittica's sword a barely recognizable blur.

They were in the center of the room now, blades locked in deadly combat. A sort of reckless rage had filled Tivittica, and her actions reflected: her movements were fueled by anger yet precise. Several minutes of intense dueling passed, with both Morzan and Tivittica struggling for the upper hand.

Suddenly, Morzan's blade flashed past her own, the tip resting on her throat. Tivittica froze, breathing heavily. "So this is how it ends," Morzan said, a satisfied note in his voice. "You've led me on a merry dance, but it ends _here_." He drew back quickly and thrust his blade forward, but Tivittica darted to the side, unbalancing him for a second. Though he recovered quickly, the distraction was all Tivittica needed to plunge her blade into his heart. As Morzan's eyes widened in surprise, she twisted the blade murmuring, "That was for my parents…and Murtagh."

Morzan didn't reply. Black blood trickled from the wound, but it faded into smoke and vanished. As he slumped forward, his body did the same. "No!" Morzan screamed, but it was too late, and he dissolved into nothingness. The only thing that remained was his sword, which lay on the ground where it had fallen.

Tivittica stared in shock where Morzan had just been. The blade slowly slipped from the ground with a clatter. _He's gone…he's truly gone…_ She felt dazed, as if she were in a dream, and slowly crossed over to Murtagh. She murmured the words to unlock the manacles chaining Murtagh to the wall, and caught him as he fell forward. She gently touched his side and whispered "Waíse heill", using the last bit of the lightning's energy to assist her. When she'd finished, Murtagh straightened and pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her.

"Don't _ever _do that again," he whispered in her ear. "You had me scared for a few moments there, and I… I don't want to lose you." He drew back slightly and looked her over, making sure she was ok. Their gazes met, and Tivittica saw all of Murtagh's emotions displayed clearly in his eyes: shock, fear, relief, anxiety, guilt, and something else…

She tilted her head slightly and closed her eyes as he leaned forward and kissed her passionately. Several emotions swept through her as he did, and she tightly wrapped her arms around him. She felt like their kiss could last forever, and she didn't want it to end. And apparently, neither did he…

Suddenly, a powerful force slammed into Tivittica, wrenching her away from Murtagh and slamming her into the opposite wall with incredible force. She didn't have to hear the "crack" to know she'd broken at least one of her ribs. She struggled to pull herself into a slightly upright position, gasping in pain as she did so. She grimly reflected that she might not enough energy to heal herself at all. Looking around, she saw Murtagh standing where she'd left him, staring at her worriedly. His gaze shifted to the back wall, and his eyes widened slightly. Tivittica followed his gaze and mentally kicked herself. Galbatorix had stepped down from the viewing balcony, his expression livid.

"How _dare_ you," he spat with barely controlled fury. "Did you forget that my intention was to _punish_ you? That I wasn't planning on letting you leave without teaching you a lesson you'd never forget _first_? You're an ignorant, imbecilic fool if you think defeating one of my more talented followers would bring you your freedom!"

"If that was one of your best followers," Tivittica replied calmly, "then I'd hate to see what shape your army is in." It hurt to talk, but she felt a bitter satisfaction as Galbatorix tried with difficulty to suppress his rage.

"You underestimate me," he finally managed. "There is a reason why the Riders fell so quickly when I came to power."

"Yes, treachery and deceit. You can't stand to face someone in a duel honorably, but the need should arise to quietly 'take care' of someone, you're the one to call."

"Oh, really? Be careful how you respond."

"Why?" Tivittica replied, ignoring the dangerous tone in his voice. "Because your ego is at stake? Get over yourself, Galbatorix. I will _never_ call you 'king', and I will _never_ be some loyal follower of you."

"You think you're so clever, don't you? Well, here's something for you to think about!" he shouted a phrase in the Ancient Language, and a metallic silver beam of magic hurtled toward Tivittica. She tried to roll out of the way, but her injured ribs prevented her from doing so quickly enough.

The seconds seemed to slow as the beam materialized into a razor-sharp dagger. Tivittica desperately tried to throw up a force field, but she couldn't seem to find the energy to do so. And suddenly, the weapon thudded into her, slamming her back to the ground with incredible force as torrents of pain swept over her.

"_Nooooo_!" Murtagh screamed, running towards her. With a contemptuous flick of the wrist, Galbatorix sent Murtagh flying backwards. He landed heavily on the ground.

Galbatorix turned back to Tivittica, who was feebly trying to sit up. "Let that be a lesson to you," he told her, a cruel smile creeping across his face. "_Never_ try to defy me again."

"Or else what?" Murtagh asked, having picked himself up. "You'll let her escape like Eragon did?"

Galbatorix face Murtagh, his eyes narrowing. "The Dragon Rider isn't going to evade me much longer. I have a plan that will take care of multiple problems at once."

"Like your plan to capture Farthên Dur?" Murtagh answered coolly, walking to where Tivittica lay. He ignored the flash of anger in the king's eyes and knelt beside Tivittica.

Looking down, he was surprised by just how much blood there was. It seemed to be an excessive amount, and it took a moment for it to sink in that it was all _her _blood. His heart skipped a couple of beats as he tried to determine just how badly she was injured. "Tivittica?" he whispered, afraid to move her.

Her eyes, which had been closed, fluttered open. Relief coursed through Murtagh's body as he let out a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. "How…" he hesitated, not sure he really wanted the answer. "How bad is it?"

"I won't lie to you—it's pretty bad. But I seem to be holding up alright, and the fact that I can even talk to you is a good sign." She closed her eyes again briefly, and he desperately wanted to gather her in his arms and hold her close. But he didn't want to make her injury worse, so he settled for slipping his hand into hers.

"Don't worry," he murmured to her, pushing a few strands of hair away from her face. "I'm not going to let anything else happen to you." He glanced up to see Galbatorix watching them with interest. "What do you want?" Murtagh demanded, slightly unsettled by the thoughtful look on the king's face. "You've already made your point."

"A moment ago, I would've said that I wanted her dead…but I have something better in mind. I'll return shortly, but don't bother trying to escape. I doubt Tivittica can handle another punishment." With a malicious chuckle, he turned and walked towards the door at the back of the room.

"Murtagh, quick," Tivittica whispered urgently. "Take the dagger and throw it at Galbatorix for me."

"Are you sure?" Murtagh asked. "If I remove the dagger, it may do more damage than good, and I don't want to hurt you more."

"Yes! Do it while you still—" She broke off, coughing. Murtagh looked at her worriedly, then carefully pulled the dagger out. Her eyes clouded with pain, but he forced himself to turn around. By now, Galbatorix had opened the door, and Murtagh quickly stood and threw the dagger with deadly precision.

At that moment, Galbatorix stepped inside the hall, closing the door behind him. Murtagh cursed under his breath in frustration, even as he realized that Galbatorix probably had wards around him that would prevent that sort that thing from happening. But to Murtagh's astonishment, the dagger didn't embed itself in the door—it went right through. _What the…?_

An angry shout came form the hall beyond the door, and suddenly, it burst open. Galbatorix stormed back into the room, blood trickling from his shoulder. "How dare you!" he spat, anger accentuating every word as he glared at Murtagh and Tivittica. He shouted a phrase in the Ancient Language that sent a chill down Murtagh's spine and made Tivittica gasp.

Nothing happened.

Murtagh, who had kept his eyes locked on Galbatorix since his reentrance into the room, saw a flicker of shock in the king's eyes. As if sensing Murtagh's gaze on him, he snapped, "I'll deal with you later", and strode out of the room.

Murtagh felt overwhelmed and a tad bit confused. "What the heck just happened?"

"Galbatorix just tried to kill us but his magic…just didn't work."

"So _that's_ what those words meant," Murtagh said, filing them away in the back of his mind for further reference. "But why didn't his magic work? That's not the kind of thing that would just…stop."

"I'm not sure, but maybe—" She broke off, coughing again, and this time blood came with it.

Murtagh knelt beside her again, concerned. Her face was incredibly pale and looked as though she had bled more. "Can you heal yourself?"

"I doubt it. I'd probably kill myself if I tried to." She started to laugh at the irony of her statement, but quickly stopped.

"Use my energy. All you need to do is a basic healing of the most damaged areas, right? I'll let you into my mind, though whether I give you permission or not doesn't seem to matter much."

Tivittica smiled. "Alright. I'll see what I can do." She closed her eyes and murmured, "Waíse heill."

Her eyes suddenly flew open, fear and panic flashing in them. "Waíse heill. _Waíse heill._" But nothing happened.

"What's wrong?" Murtagh asked, concern and anxiety splashed across her features.

"My magic, Murtagh… It's gone."

* * *

A/N: Read this part again:

"_Rïsa (rise)!" Morzan barked. Tivittica found herself suspended in the air, unable to move despite her desperate struggles. "Thrysta (compress)," Morzan murmured, a malevolent gleam in his eyes. Tivittica lost her grip on her sword as a crushing weight smashed into her lungs. She couldn't breathe… couldn't… breathe…_

Wouldn't you agree that Morzan sounds like a Sith Lord? ;)

Chapter 22 on the way, hopefully by the end of this month. Let me know what you think so far!!!


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22:

**A/N:** Finally!!! It has taken me so long to type this but at long, long last here is the next chapter! Let's hope the next update won't be so long… XD

* * *

"What do you mean?" Murtagh stared at her in disbelief. "Just…gone?"

"Yes," Tivittica replied, worry coloring her voice. "I can remember all of the words I've learned in the Ancient Language, but I can't use them as I normally would."

"Like Galbatorix?"

"Exactly."

"But how?"

"I'm not sure, but my guess would be that somehow, Galbatorix placed an enchantment on the dagger. Something that would stop whoever came in contact with it from recalling the words of the Ancient Language."

Murtagh stood, pacing beside her. Tivittica couldn't use her magic, but Galbatorix couldn't either. And it was magic that gave the king power… "If someone were to attack Galbatorix right now, they'd have much better chance of defeating him, especially if they could use magic or a sword well."

"You're right," Tivittica agreed. "This could be the chance you've been looking for. Remember when I asked why _you_ wouldn't fight Galbatorix? You said that he was too powerful. But now…"

"I don't have any weapons. Besides, wouldn't he have wards around him? I can't use magic, so I doubt I could get past them…"

"Use my sword. This is the only chance you'll have." Before she could say anything else, she broke into another bout of coughing.

Murtagh stared at her, torn for a brief moment between the chance to put an end to Galbatorix and helping Tivittica. But to abandon Tivittica when she was in such a state…

He knelt beside her. "You need to stop bleeding first."

"I can't really control that," she replied, a ghost of a smile hovering on her lips.

He cast about for something to use as a bandage, but there was nothing in sight, so with a resigned sigh, he pulled his shirt off and gently began dabbing her wound with it. "Sorry."

"Don't be." She kept still, watching him carefully and trying to distance herself from the pain.

Suddenly, the door in the back of the room opened. Murtagh turned around quickly, straightening in the process. The Twins had entered the room, and were crossing over to where Murtagh and Tivittica were.

"What do you want?" demanded Murtagh.

"We're here to heal the traitor," a Twin replied tersely.

"And put your shirt back on," the other added. "You're not impressing anyone." As he approached Tivittica, he shoved Murtagh aside. "Stay out of our way so we can heal her quicker."

"Why are you going to heal her?"

"Does it matter?" the first Twin replied, glaring at Murtagh. He crouched beside Tivittica and tossed Murtagh's shirt to the side. The other Twin joined him.

"We need to determine the extent of the injuries." He started applying pressure to her chest, and Murtagh could see the pain flashing across her face. The other looked on, his expression one of disdainful boredom.

"We should probably get the traitor on her feet." The other Twin nodded and roughly started to pull Tivittica upright. The first Twin helped, then turned to Murtagh and snapped, "Keep her up while we examine her wounds."

Murtagh walked over to Tivittica and the Twins. "I don't understand what the point of this is. You should just leave her where she was."

One of the Twins shot him a scathing glare. "I didn't ask for your opinion. Now just do as we say and don't ask any questions. Right now, stand behind the traitor and keep her up. Simple enough?"

Murtagh didn't bother replying as he stepped behind Tivittica and gently wrapped his arms around her waist in order to help her remain standing. He was careful not to touch her injury or apply too much pressure. "Sorry about the idiots," he whispered into her ear. She smiled and placed her hands tightly over his.

The Twins prodded Tivittica's injuries a few more times and then the second one stepped back. "Hmm. I think we need to make sure the rest of her is doing alright." He pulled out a dagger and stabbed Tivittica's leg with incredible speed. Murtagh barely even saw the flash of silver, and probably wouldn't have noticed if Tivittica hadn't let out a gasp of pain and started to collapse to the ground. He caught her and slowly lowered her to the ground before pulling out the dagger out of her leg. Murtagh then crossed over to the Twin who'd stabbed Tivittica, and in one swift motion, grabbed the Twin by his neck and slammed him into the wall.

"_What_ do you think you're doing?" Murtagh hissed, placing the dagger at the Twin's throat.

"I was just…checking the traitor's reflexes," the Twin choked out.

Murtagh glared at him. "If you try any other stunts like that, I swear I'll kill you."

"If you kill me, I can't heal the traitor."

Murtagh didn't immediately respond. He knew that the Twin was right, but was loathe to admit it. Instead, he shoved the dagger into the Twin's leg and let him collapse to the ground before walking back to Tivittica. "By the way," he called over his shoulder, "her name is Tivittica, not 'the traitor'."

"I'll call her what I please," the Twin on the ground spat, removing the dagger from his leg. He muttered something in the Ancient Language, and Murtagh let out a small gasp of pain as the Twin's magic took effect. He staggered into the wall and sank down, trying to keep it from showing on his face. Tivittica had enough to worry about as it was…

"We don't have time for this," the first Twin abruptly snapped. "Let's heal the traitor and leave."

Grumbling, the second Twin joined the other and crouched beside Tivittica. He placed his hand over her injury, and she bit her lip as the motion was copied. Together, the Twins murmured, "Waíse heill." Murtagh tried to watch what the Twins were doing, but his head was spinning and his body ached. Frustrated, he waited for the wave of dizziness to pass before rising. Though his head spun a little at the sudden movement, it was nowhere near the same level that it had been.

By now, the Twins had finished and were preparing to leave. Murtagh eyed them warily, just waiting for one to try something, but they seemed to be focused on their departure, crossing the room and leaving by the way that they had come. Murtagh immediately knelt beside Tivittica. "They healed you?" He regarded her carefully. Though exhausted and pale, her chest wound was now closed and the blood had been cleared away.

"Yes. Not all the way, but it certainly helped. It hurts a little to talk, but I'm alright."

The relief was evident in his face, but quickly disappeared at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Glancing up, Murtagh watched as a squad of soldiers entered the room.

The leader, commanding in appearance with an impassive expression on his face, approached Murtagh. "I have been ordered to escort you all to your cell." He turned to his men. "Bring the stretcher."

Four men came over, two carrying the stretcher. With Murtagh's help, they carefully settled Tivittica onto it. Each then crouched by one end, and at the command of one, lifted simultaneously. Four more soldiers came over and stood behind Murtagh and the stretcher, hands resting lightly on their weapons. The few remaining soldiers arranged themselves around the pair. "Alright, let's head out," the commander instructed.

The small group retraced their way up the stairs, those carrying Tivittica moving a bit slower. As Murtagh walked, he found various scenes from the day replaying in his mind. Everything had happened far too quickly. He was exhausted, but he knew that the ordeal was far from being over. Galbatorix was powerless, but for how long? He was reluctant to leave Tivittica, and there was also the issue of the soldiers to deal with. He had no weapons, and as he scanned the faces of the soldiers, he didn't see much to reassure him of his chances. Each man's face was hard, expressionless, and he doubted that any would assist him.

They were in one of the halls of the castle now. Subtle aromas of cooking told Murtagh that they must be near the kitchens. Suddenly, he noticed a man hastening down the corridor. The commander ordered his men to a halt as the other approached. "What is it?" he demanded as the newcomer threw up a hasty salute.

"Sir, there's a bit of a disturbance in the kitchens."

"Excuse me?"

"One of the cooks got a bit drunk and challenged the other to some sort of cooking contest. It's gotten pretty heated."

"Why did you interrupt me to inform me of this?" A hint of annoyance was in the leader's voice.

"It's starting to get out of hand, and few soldiers are present. The staff won't listen, and we need some help." The man's voice was familiar, but Murtagh couldn't quite place it. "You have some authority—would you mind to resolve the issue?"

"Very well," the commander sighed. He turned to face the group. "Seph, supervise the others. And Tzadik, you can fall in."

Murtagh quickly glanced towards Tivittica. Though the lighting was mediocre, he could make out her face. She had a hint of a smile on her lips. While he doubted that Tzadik could tip the odds in their favor, it was good to know that there was at least one person that was sympathetic to them.

Seph stepped forward. He was a tall, lithe man with light brown hair and light blue eyes. "Right, let's get moving!"

* * *

They reached the dungeon in good time. Seph nodded at the guards as they approached the door. "Know where their cells are?"

One guard squinted in Tivittica's direction. "No idea. Doesn't matter, though. You can just pick a couple." He led the way through the corridor towards some empty cells at the end and unlocked two. "How 'bout these here?"

Tzadik approached Seph and said quietly, "Can't we just put them in one cell?"

Seph looked at Tzadik, bemused. "Why?"

"Remember Tiv? Trained you a bit with the sword?"

Seph glanced at Tivittica. "I hadn't realized. She's a good hand with a blade. Not my place to ask, but I wonder what she did to incur the king's anger. Is the other her friend?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I suppose it's the least we could do. One small act of kindness. She's going to need it." Seph directed his attention to the jailer, raising his voice to a normal tone. "Just one cell will do."

"Whatever you like." The soldiers carrying the stretcher set it down in the cell and helped Tivittica onto the ground before leaving. Two others prodded Murtagh forward. "Good luck," Tzadik murmured as Murtagh passed him. The jailer locked the door, and the group departed.

Murtagh sat down beside Tivittica. She appeared to be asleep, and he didn't bother waking her; she needed the rest. Leaning back wearily, he gaze drifted to outside the cell. How much time did they have before their fate would be decided? What would happen to himself, to Tivittica? He could only guess at what was to come, and there was no point trying to deceive himself about it. He had already done that once, and it was Tivittica who had paid the most for his naivety. He suspected that they would not be as lucky this time. No, not this time…

* * *

A/N: Chapter 23 is on it's way soon (hopefully!)


	23. Separation

**Chapter 23: **_Separation_

A/N: Some of my friends have been gracious enough to draw their version of Tivittica for me. Links are on my profile page! And wow, it's been a long time since the last post. Here, at long last, is the newest chapter!

* * *

It was dark when she opened her eyes, despite the flickering torch set outside of the cell. Gradually, though, her sight adjusted to the dim lighting, and Tivittica could make out the shadowy form of a person beside her. There was little doubt in her mind as to who this was, but she wanted to be sure of it. "Murtagh?" she said quietly.

He glanced towards her, though his face was obscured slightly by the shadow of the flickering light outside. "How are you doing?"

"Better, thanks." She struggled to sit up, and he quickly helped her.

"Take it easy."

She rested her head against his shoulder. "Don't worry about me."

He could hear the tiredness in her voice, but didn't argue the matter further, his mind focused more on what was to come. He pressed his lips gently against her forehead. "We have to get out of here. Somehow."

But she was shaking her head, leaning back. "How, Murtagh? Nothing short of a miracle could get us out. I'm injured, without magic, and you have no weapons. I don't have any more plans, nothing to fall back on. What did you have in mind?"

The last sentence came out more biting than she had intended, and Murtagh didn't meet her gaze. "I don't know." Beyond those simple words, she could hear the undercurrent of anguish, knew it hurt him to admit that was no chance for either of them to be set free.

"At least we're together," she murmured.

"But for how long?" Murtagh countered. He let out a frustrated breath. "It's the not knowing that gets to me. Not knowing what will happen next. Not being able to take matters into my hands."

"I know what you mean." Tivittica was silent for a moment, and Murtagh slipped his hand into hers in an effort to reassure her. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to focus on some viable way to escape, but nothing came to mind. How could they, when Galbatorix always seemed to be one step ahead of them? Murtagh deserved better than this… Her eyes stung with the intensity of her frustration. There had to be something she could do, some way she could help.

The sound of footsteps and a door opening sounded faintly in the distance, and then the footsteps retreated. Another prisoner, most likely, but Tivittica knew Galbatorix would certainly not forget about them. "Murtagh," she said, breaking the silence between the two of them.

"Yes?"

She glanced down. "Love...is not a weakness. After all, we were meant to _feel_, to have emotions and care about one another. Love, compassion, empathy… They're our greatest strengths. Never forget that."

She could feel Murtagh's gaze on her. "What are you trying to say, exactly?" he asked.

"I'm not certain. I thought it was something that you needed to be reminded of. But I don't know why. It was a feeling, that's all" Tivittica glanced up and saw the questioning look on his face. "An impulse."

"An impulse," Murtagh echoed. When she glanced at him again, there was a mischievous look in his eyes.

"What?" she began, but she never got the chance to finish as he leaned over and kissed her briefly.

"Impulsive enough for you?" There was a teasing expression on Murtagh's face.

"My turn," Tivittica replied. Murtagh seemed to have the right idea: instead of focusing on their predicament and the future, it was better to make to most of the time they had together. She turned sideways and pressed her lips against his, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. Though the pressure against her still-healing chest was a bit uncomfortable, the emotions swirling about in her head made it all too easy to ignore.

"You two are at it _again_?" a cold voice hissed angrily. Murtagh jerked back, stiffening. Tivittica didn't need to see who was speaking to know who it was: Galbatorix.

The merciless ruler of Alagaësia stood outside the cell, glaring at the both of them. "Murtagh, you choose the worst times to make romantic endeavors. No wonder your father hated you-you're a failure at everything you try."

Murtagh's face hardened. "You're one to talk."

Galbatorix ignored him, instead turning away to speak to the Twins, who had arrived. There were a few soldiers standing nearby as well. "Whose idea was it to put both prisoners in the same cell?"

"I don't know, sir," one replied.

"Well, find out. And be quick about it!" The Twins bowed and left. Galbatorix redirected his attention to his prisoners. He didn't say anything, but his cold, hard gaze sent a chill of unease down Tivittica's spine. He seemed to be considering something, and Tivittica had a feeling she did not want to find out what it was.

Several more tense moments passed before the Twins returned with Seph and Tzadik. One gestured at Seph. "This was man responsible for the group when they arrived at the prisons, but this other one"-he pointed at Tzadik-"is a known trouble maker and most likely the one who suggested it."

Galbatorix regarded Tzadik intensely before turning to one of the soldiers. "Take both of them away and secure them. I'll be there to oversee their punishment shortly."

"Yes, sir." The man turned away, his soldiers grouping around Seph and Tzadik.

"And Lieutenant?"

"Yes?"

"Make sure they are kept in separate cells. I wouldn't want them trying to make an escape."

"As you wish, my lord."

With Galbatorix's attention on Tzadik's and Seph's exit, Tivittica leaned closer to Murtagh. "Will you promise me something?" Her whispered voice was filled with urgency.

"Anything. Just name it."

"If something were to happen to me, swear you won't try anything stupid. Promise me you'll keep going…and won't give up."

"Tivittica…"

"Promise me," she insisted.

Murtagh sighed. "Very well. I shall do as you wish. I _promise_. But I won't let anything happen to you."

There was a sad smile on her face. "It may not be your decision to make."

Murtagh was about to reply, but stopped as Galbatorix turned to the Twins.

"Bring the traitor outside."

One Twin bowed deeply while the other unlocked the door and stepped inside. Tivittica could feel the tension in Murtagh's body beside her. The Twin approached and reached for her, but Murtagh was quicker, lunging forward and sinking his teeth into the other man's arm.

The Twin swore and drew back, healing his arm while the other took over. This Twin warily advanced, eyes on Murtagh, but failed to see Murtagh's leg snake out and aim a kick until it was too late. Unbalanced, he fell to the side, his head hitting the wall hard enough to stun him. He slumped to the floor with a groan while the other angrily barked "Letta (stop)!" Murtagh found himself unable to move as the Twin stepped forward and yanked Tivittica upright before dragging her towards the door.

By this point, the other Twin was beginning to recover. "Help me, would you?" The first Twin hesitated, then shoved Tivittica to the side. She collapsed to the ground heavily and winced at the impact. Murtagh, meanwhile, realized that he was no longer being kept immobile and leaped up. Attacking the Twins would only delay the inevitable, but he could not just sit back and watch them carry Tivittica off to whatever punishment awaited her.

Tivittica lay where she had landed, fresh pain coursing through her. She had no delusions about what lay ahead. Taking a deep breath, she slowly reached up and undid the chain of her dragon necklace. The movement did little to improve how she felt, but she was determined to leave something behind.

Murtagh was holding his ground against the Twins, but barely. He could sense that they were toying with him, for neither used magic. He blocked one and swung a fist at the other's face, but the Twin unexpectedly kneed him hard in the stomach. Murtagh staggered backward, gasped for breath. The Twin smirked at him and muttered a short phrase in the Ancient Language. Suddenly Murtagh was hopelessly disoriented, and it was an easy matter for the Twin to knock him out.

The Twin turned to Tivittica and lazily waved his hand, levitating her into the air. Tivittica glanced down at Murtagh. This could very well be the last time she ever saw him again. He had trusted her and she had failed him. But there was nothing she could do about that now… She closed her eyes, and a single teardrop slid down her cheek. "I love you," she whispered softly. He could not hear her, but it didn't matter. Not anymore.

* * *

A/N: I hate writing about the Twins; since they have no names, it's difficult to differentiate between the two of them. Next chapter… introducing Thorn!


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24:**

A/N: It's been much too long since I last updated this story. Even more embarrassing because I've finished writing it. The only thing I can offer by way of apology is that I am nearly done editing chapter 25 and will have it up soon. And by soon, I mean within a month. Same for chapter 26. As always, reviews are always welcome. Enjoy!

* * *

Murtagh could feel hard stone pressing into his cheek, its coldness slowly seeping into his body. His muscles felt sore and cramped, and with a groan, he forced his eyes open. He was lying on the floor of the cell, and as his vision adjusted, he saw that he was alone.

Alone. With a muttered curse, he forced himself upright. His muscles ached from being stiff so long, but the physical discomfort was nothing to the realization that he had let them take Tivittica. He had failed her, just as he had failed Tornac and Selena…

He rose, grimacing as he stretched. There was nothing he could do, but his mind refused to remain inactive. He began to pace the cell, somewhat unsteadily at first but with increasing haste as his agitation fueled his steps.

Something glinted in the gloom, briefly distracting Murtagh. He walked over to it, curious, still trying to make sense of how quickly events had transpired and what it meant. And froze when he noticed what had caught his attention—Tivittica's dragon necklace.

He picked it up, barely aware of the action. He couldn't think clearly—his mind was a blur of images and emotions. _His first time seeing her, her duel with Morzan. Her compassion and determination, the way her hair framed her features. The taste of her lips and the feeling of her body pressed against his. Her laughter…_

He refused to give her up for dead, yet if she were alive, he had a feeling death would be a kinder fate.

_Tivittica…_

* * *

The hours blended into one another so that Murtagh had no clear sense of how much time had passed when he heard the sound of footsteps. Light stronger than the flickering torch outside his cell illuminated the hall in front of him as the sounds drew ever closer, but Murtagh made no move to rise from where he was sitting. A shiver of apprehension crossed him, though, for the light was too bright to be anything but magic. And if it was magic…

The Twins appeared in front of his cell, their expressions devoid of all emotion except a glimmer of contempt in their eyes. One held a metal box with ornate engravings. Behind them stood Galbatorix, his body bathed in shadows from the werelight overhead

The king remained silent for several minutes, allowing Murtagh's trepidation to grow with each passing moment. Finally he spoke. "Your insolence disturbs me, Murtagh, and I am not sure where you have found this new attitude of yours. Didn't Tornac teach you better?"

Murtagh remained silent, glaring determinedly at the ground in front of him.

Galbatorix let out a deep breath, one hand resting on his waist while the other pinched the bridge of his nose. "Perhaps my memory fails me, but I seem to remember that I once had not only your respect but your loyalty." At this his tone grew sharper. "I'm offering you one last chance to redeem yourself. It would not be in your best interest to disappoint me this time." As he finished speaking, one of the Twins moved to the box, pulled out a large red object, and handed it to Galbatorix, who eyed the object for a brief moment before abruptly opening the cell door and tossing it at Murtagh.

Instinctively, he caught it. The item appeared to be a rather large, dark red stone. He turned it over in his hands but could find nothing to suggest that it was anything beyond what it appeared. And yet, why would Galbatorix go to such trouble? There had to be something else, something he had missed…

It was an egg. It had to be, for what else would explain Galbatorix's actions? He held in his hands one of the last two dragon eggs in all of Alagaësia.

He could feel Galbatorix's gaze on him. The gesture was impressive, to say the least. The chance to become a Dragon Rider, to become what had faded into only legends and whispered tales… to become what his father had been. The irony of the situation, down to the red hue of the egg he held, was not lost upon him. Here indeed was the chance to become what his father had been: the murderous, vicious servant of Galbatorix without any sense of morality or restraint. Unpredictable, violent, depraved, delighting in the suffering of others…

Revulsion filled Murtagh_._ He could not, would not, follow the path of his father. He hastily placed the egg on the floor beside him before standing and facing Galbatorix_._ "I won't be your Dragon Rider."

The king's expression was unreadable. "We shall see, Murtagh, for the decision is no longer yours to make. In the meantime, enjoy your…contemplation." With that, he turned and exited, the Twins and box in tow, and leaving Murtagh to a gloom that somehow seemed darker than it had first been.

* * *

What seemed like days passed with no sign of activity from the egg. Part of Murtagh was relieved, but he was beginning to realize just how desperate his situation was. As if to emphasize Galbatorix's displeasure, the amount of food being brought to Murtagh had continued to dwindle until none came at all and only water was brought. He could feel his strength slowly slipping away but refused to let himself succumb to his body's weakness. If Galbatorix chose to let him waste away, so be it, but he would not offer the king any pleasure in doing so.

There was nothing to distract him from thinking of Tivittica. If she were dead… No, he couldn't let himself focus on that, but the thought refused to go away. He wondered what she would think of him if he became a Rider, but that, too, was dangerous ground because he couldn't afford for the egg to hatch.

_But if the egg doesn't hatch, then I'm of no further use to Galbatorix. And if I'm of no further use, then it will no longer be a question of if he'll kill me but when. _That thought did not appeal to him much either, and with a sigh, he allowed his thoughts to return to Tivittica.

* * *

They had stopped bringing water altogether, and part of Murtagh wondered what Galbatorix hoped to accomplish through this. He knew the king enjoyed demonstrating his control and he doubted Galbatorix would be inclined to merely forget about him.

He could barely make out the sound of footsteps echoing down the hall and a faint smile that looked more like a grimace crossed his lips. He'd been right—Galbatorix could not resist another, possibly final, visit. But as the steps finally drew to a halt, he realized that Galbatorix was absent from the group. Instead, it was only the Twins. Both wore their usual sneers and one carried a tall glass.

"He looks hungry," one said. "Did someone forget to feed him?"

"Oh, that must have slipped my mind," the other replied with a nasty chuckle. "What a…shame." Both snickered.

"Still no dragon? A pity. Can't say I blame the hatchling, though. I still don't understand the king's interest in you."

"And right now, he's interested in keeping you alive," the other added. "For the moment, anyway." He unlocked the door, allowing his companion to enter and place the cup in front of Murtagh, just beyond his reach. "Enjoy, and…pleasant dreams." He locked the door as his brother moved into the hall, and they left, sinister laughter echoing behind them.

Murtagh eyed the glass with suspicion. It had to be poisoned. Why else would the Twins go to such trouble? Unless, perhaps, it was simply what it appeared to be—a glass of water—so that he would sit here debating and agonizing over whether or not it was poison for the Twins' amusement. He closed his eyes in frustration. His mouth was like sandpaper, his throat raw. If he allowed himself to die, Galbatorix would win, simple as that. Because if he still had a breath in his body, he still had a chance, no matter how slim, of escaping. A choice in which he just gave up was no choice at all.

_Enough._ He opened his eyes and reached for the glass. His fingers brushed the surface, and with a final lunge, gripped the sides. He leaned back, head pounding slightly from the exertion], and took a drink of his prize. The first sip was wonderful—cool, sweet, and soothing to his sore throat. He forced himself to drink slowly, but all too soon the glass was drained.

He sagged against the wall, exhausted. How long would he be able to keep this up? It didn't matter, though, because he was so tired. So very tired…

* * *

The air was cool and crisp and he could taste winter in the wind. The seasons would change soon, yet the garden he stood in seemed to be resisting the change. Stubborn leaves still clung to several tree branches while large, healthy blossoms sat interspersed with other plants that were preparing for winter. Yet Murtagh barely glanced at the flowers as he passed them, focused instead on making his way towards the garden's center.

Ordinarily, a flourishing rose bush with delicate yet resilient white blossoms greeted his eye, looking almost as if pieces of the moon had fallen from the sky and been caught on a plant. Even during the winter, it's flowers persisted, but today the rose bush's lone flower had withered and was hanging limply from a gray, shriveled stem.

Murtagh shivered slightly, frowning at the flower. The roses were his mother's favorite, hand chosen to replace a diseased tree by the nice old gardener they had had for a short while. His mother would not be happy about this.

"Murtagh!" The voice drifted on the wind, faintly catching Murtagh's ears before being whisked away again. It wasn't his mother's voice calling him. His mother was home again, but she was sick and he could only see her a few times each day. He remembered when she had first shown him the garden, taking him by the hand and telling him the name of each flower. Some days she would bring him with her while she watered and tell him stories. He hoped she would get better soon so they could do more things together before she had to leave again.

"Murtagh!" The voice was closer now, more urgent. He recognized it as the voice of his nursemaid. She didn't tell him stories the way his mother did, but she would sometimes play with him and some days she would make him an extra pastry, so he supposed she was all right. But his mother would still be unhappy about the flowers.

"There you are, child!" his nursemaid exclaimed, rounding the corner. "I was looking everywhere for you. What are you doing out here?" Then she caught sight of the roses and her face softened.

"Mama's roses are sad, but we've been watering them like we were supposed to. Why are they sad?" His nursemaid didn't reply, still looking at the roses. Murtagh noticed that her eyes looked red. He waited another moment, then tugged at her skirt. "Is Father back? Is he angry?"

His nursemaid looked down at him. "I almost wish he were," she whispered. "It's your mother… She… Oh, child, I don't know how else to tell you this, but your mother is dead."

Dead, like the rose on the ground. Dead, like the servant that had angered his father. His mother, dead?

No more stories…

As he stared at the fallen flower, as his nursemaid bent down to hold him, the scene faded into darkness. Colors and images began to flash past him, leaping out from the black. Silvery-blue, a bottle of wine, Tornac training him, a grove of trees, amber-gold, his sword, chestnut-brown, flames crackling from a small campfire, a Ra'zac, the sea, several people standing around himself and some noble's brat he had gotten into a rather heated argument with once when he lived in Galbatorix's castle, the light reflecting off Saphira's scales that turned into a blinding white.

As the light faded, Murtagh could begin to make out his surroundings. He stood in front of a roaring fire in a dark, brooding room. Books set in dark cherry shelves framed the sides of the fireplace and a door led to another room on his left. Curious, Murtagh headed to the door on his left, his armor clinking as he did so.

He looked down, surprised to find himself wearing solid plate armor from his neck down. What was he doing in armor? Then he remembered; he had just returned from battle. His body ached, but it was nothing he was unaccustomed to. He had returned victorious, what else mattered?

—_He was lying on the floor of the cell, his body drenched in sweat. Something was wrong.—_

Murtagh passed through the doorway, emerging in a bedchamber with a lavish, ornate bed. A table was pressed against the wall beside a large wardrobe, and beside that, a full length mirror. He headed to the table, relieved at the prospect of changing from his armor. As he began to remove pieces of the armor and place them on the table, he noticed a few bloodstains, but somehow he knew they weren't his. Of course they weren't—few were skilled enough to prove challenging in battle—but the prospect of having to clean the stains from his armor annoyed him.

—_The Twins. They had poisoned him.—_

He pulled the belt from his waist, careful not to let his scabbard fall on the floor. It was a dark red, and idly, he pulled the blade out for a quick, admiring glance. Zar'roc had served him well in battle. Something about the sword left him a bit uneasy, but he shrugged the feeling aside and crossed the room to get a rag for his armor.

—_He was vaguely aware that he was getting sick. But there was hardly anything in his stomach and all he could do was listen to the sound of himself retching over and over—_

A gleam of light to the side drew Murtagh's attention and he turned to see himself reflected in a mirror. He stepped closer, studying the reflection. It was a face he knew well—dark hair, a hard, cruel expression, cold eyes. The face of his father.

—_He managed to make it back to the wall, half-crawling and half-dragging himself, his body shaking from a combination of the effort and sudden coldness.—_

Murtagh pulled back, the horrified look on his face looking out of place on Morzan's. As he continued to watch, not quite able to turn away, the look of horror shifted into a sinister smile as the reflection reached towards Murtagh. "You and I, we are the same," it whispered in Murtagh's voice and pulled him into the mirror.

* * *

A/N: Chapter 25 WILL be up soon! This I promise you! If you've made this far in my story, you may want to consider adding it to your "Story Alerts" if you haven't already. This isn't about my ego; those who have been following this story will tell you that I don't always update regularly. =) In other news, I read Inheritance and am pleased to announce that nothing in the entire Inheritance Cycle conflicts with anything I have planned for this story (or the ideas I've been tossing around for sequels). Hooray!


	25. Of Eggs and Rabbits

**C****hapter 25:**_ Of Eggs and Rabbits_

A/N: It's been far too long since I last posted... Enjoy, though!

* * *

When Murtagh awoke, he found that his vision had cleared. He could barely move, weak as he was, and he realized that he was shivering, but at least the effects of the poison seemed to have stopped.

Not too far from where he lay sat the egg. The light from the torch outside reflected off its surface, causing parts of the egg to sparkle like a richly colored gemstone. Beside the egg was a tray bearing food and water, and beneath the tray, a blanket. Murtagh frowned, unsure if he could reach the tray in his state.

As he tried to settle on the best method for reaching the supplies, he was startled to see a rabbit poke its head from behind the water jug. It inched forward, sniffing the air, but stopped at the sight of Murtagh. It glanced from Murtagh to the water, then back again before sitting upright and motioning to him with its paw.

Seeing that Murtagh made no effort to move, the rabbit hopped in front of the tray, and two more joined it. They all sat upright and looked around for a bit before beginning to hop in a circle around the tray. "Come get the water!" one called in a pleasant voice.

"Yes, this water is safe!" said another.

Murtagh could only stare at the display. Not again. Hadn't the poison already run its course?

But the rabbits seemed to have no intention of leaving. They continued to dance in their small circle, calling words of encouragement every so often to Murtagh. He watched a moment longer, then slowly began to sit up just enough to pull himself forward.

"Yes, that's the spirit!"

Murtagh shook his head and ignored the rabbits, instead focusing on inching closer. A few times he had to stop from lightheadedness, but it was never to the extent of the time before, and with the rabbits encouraging him—one occasionally hopping from the tray to him and back again—he found himself slowly making progress.

He finally reached the tray, the rabbits offering a chorus of congratulations, and allowed himself a moment's rest. When he looked up again, the rabbits were gone. He shook his head at the strangeness of the situation and turned his attention to the tray. Fortunately, everything remained as he had first seen it. He warily sipped the water, then reached for the bread, broke off a small piece, and ate it. His movements were slow, partly from his weakness and partly because he had no desire to be sick again. As it were, he found he could only manage a few mouthfuls of the bread. He took the blanket, careful not to knock over his precious supply of food, and pulled himself over to the wall, where he sat with his back pressed against it and the blanket wrapped snugly around him.

Though exhausted, he did not feel the need to sleep again just yet. He tried to make sense of all that had happened, but it was too chaotic and strange for his mind to process yet. He glanced at the egg again. The reflecting light from it made the egg almost seem to wink, as though it wanted his attention. _Why don't you talk to me?_ the egg seemed to suggest.

"Talk to an egg?" Murtagh muttered. "If someone saw me, they'd think I was rather strange." Then the absurdity of his statement struck him, and he let out a hoarse chuckle. With all that he had seen lately, talking to an egg seemed almost normal. "I bet you don't want to be here anymore than I do," he told the egg. To his relief, it did not reply. He continued to talk to the egg, feeling foolish and self-conscious at first, but growing slightly more comfortable as the time passed. He told the egg many things: anecdotes about growing up in Galbatorix's castle; training with Tornac; what the ocean, desert, forests, and cities looked like; what he knew of the elves, dwarves, and Urgals; and a little about the state Alagaësia was currently in. Though he avoided discussing Tivittica, Eragon, and his experiences in the Varden, he found that talking distracted him from his plight. Finally, exhaustion claimed him, and he slipped into the dark folds of sleep.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this was a short chapter; the next one'll be longer. If you've read this far, I'm sure you've noticed a marked change in the writing styles/tone the further you've read. Seeing as I started this story about five years ago, the earlier chapters are overdue for an overhaul. If you're interested in hearing about my plans for revising and smoothing out the plot, just PM me or mention it in any reviews you leave. As always, your feedback is greatly appreciated. I promise I won't be so bad about posting the next chapter!


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: **

**A/N:** Two chapters in as many days! =D Hope you enjoy!

* * *

A scream rent the air, piercing and bloodcurdling. Enough to make even the most battle-hardened give pause. Another scream, and then all was silent. Murtagh shuddered, and then with a jolt, realized that he had recognized that voice.

_No, don't let it be…_

He ran through the dark, shadow-drenched passageways, trying to discover the source of the sound with increasing desperation. He passed rooms with all sorts of unspeakable devices, some coated with bloodstains that looked fresher than others, some with chains, others with shimmering barriers of magic, and all with an almost overwhelming sense of hopelessness and despair.

Finally, he found it. The room was much like the others, but what had caught his attention was a hand hanging over the side of a stone dais. As he neared the platform, he found it increasingly difficult to move forward, as though he was wading through a river. His breath quickened with his exertions, but still he pressed on.

His breath stuck in his throat as he caught sight of who was tied down to the platform. Her skin was pale, made more so by the dark red-brown tresses framing her face. Her eyes were open, unseeing, and her expression was one of great pain. But the worst part of all was the sheer amount of blood covering her body and the horrific wounds that could not be healed.

_ Tivittica…_

He had failed her, come much too late. He reached out to push back a stray lock of hair from her face, stunned. It was impossible. After all they had been through, it would end like this? His hand brushed her face and recoiled as he felt how cold she was. No…this wasn't fair. To die alone, amongst enemies. Without comfort. Without a companion. Without ever telling her good-bye.

He sank to the ground, vision blurring as his shoulders shook and sobs racked his body. He held her hand, ignoring its icy feel, as the tears streamed down his face.

_ Tivittica…_

Suddenly, the room began to fade away. It started at the outer edges and moved towards the center, slowly at first and then with increasing speed. He tried to keep hold of her hand, but he was falling backwards into nothingness…

Murtagh opened his eyes with a jolt. He stared into the blurry shadows until they solidified into the floor of his cell. The shadows nearest the door flickered in time with the torch outside, but something seemed off. He strained to listen beyond the noise of his pounding heart and heaving breath. Finally, he heard it—a faint squeaking noise.

He looked about, wary. Squeaking meant rodents. If it was a mouse coming to make off with the remains of his bread, so be it, but if it was a rat… He grimaced. He was in no position to fight off a rat.

His eyes fell on the tray of food nearby, but to his surprise it was as untouched as he had left it. His allowed his gaze to slowly trace over the perimeter of his cell, but there were no tell-tale signs of movement. Groaning, he pushed himself upright and looked to his left side. At first, he noticed nothing, but then he found the source of the squeaking: the egg. It was shaking back and forth, cracks spider-webbing across the surface. As he stared, hardly trusting what he was seeing, a piece of the shell gave way and spun across the floor. A few more pieces followed until finally a small foot pushed itself out of the gap. Another foot followed it and, after a few more aggressive wobbles of the egg, so did the head.

The dragon was like nothing Murtagh had seen before. Its small, membrane-covered body bore little resemblance to Morzan's vicious, half-insane beast. As Murtagh watched, the dragon sniffed the air and began to creep forward, investigating the cell. Suddenly, one of its legs caught on one of the shell fragments and it tripped. Letting out a squeak of protest, the hatchling curled into a ball before resuming its exploration.

It wasn't long before the dragon reached Murtagh. It paused when it caught sight of him, its vermillion eyes pinning Murtagh in place. Evidently judging him nonthreatening, the dragon crept forward until it reached the edge of Murtagh's blanket. It gave the fabric a careful sniff before nestling against it, the small spikes on its back pressing lightly against Murtagh's leg.

By now, Murtagh's right arm ached from supporting all of his weight. He slowly shifted his weight to the left, where the dragon was resting. It looked up at him, body slightly tense but making no move to attack. He extended his hand cautiously for the creature to smell, wanting to keep the dragon calm. It let out a small squeak and cocked its head at him curiously. The dragon's vulnerability seemed both alien and apt to Murtagh, and, after a moment's hesitation, he touched the hatchling's neck.

Blinding, white-hot currents of energy coursed through his body at the contact, its strength causing him to arch his back in pain before collapsing to the ground. White stars flared in his darkened vision, the scar on his back seemed to wrench open, and he was immobilized. So strong was the pain, it seemed as though he could sense it outside of his body.

Finally, the sensation subsided, and with it, most of his warmth. His body tingled all over, and he remained where he had collapsed for several moments, trying to recover his breath and take stock of the situation. Aside from violent shivering, the only aftereffect of the contact was that his hand still remained immobile. Warily, he raised his arm to better look at his hand. To his surprise, a diffused white oval had formed on the palm. No, not an oval… a symbol. One he was all too familiar with…

His thoughts were distracted by another mind brushing against his own. It was unlike the minds he was accustomed to dealing with: a feeling of curiosity and faint wariness without any thoughts or other feelings. He followed the link, certain he knew what it was, and felt a distinctly nonhuman consciousness at the other end. It was the dragon. And that could only mean…

Murtagh projected a feeling of safety to the newly hatched dragon to reassure it before retreating to his own mind and defenses. This couldn't be happening, and yet the mark on his palm told him otherwise. He wasn't dreaming. Against all odds, the egg had hatched for him. He was a Dragon Rider. A _Rider_.

Just like his father.

* * *

**A/N: **Thoughts?


End file.
